Quick response by the South Beach Regional Fire Authority kept a Thursday afternoon blaze on Dock Street in Westport from causing any injuries and saved the two-story multi-family, multi-use building from destruction.

Crews were called at 3:45 p.m. and arrived six minutes later to find smoke and flames blowing out of a second story apartment window, which had ignited the exterior of the structure, near the Aloha Alabama restaurant, which has retail shops on the first floor and apartments on the second.

“Fire crews made entry into the building under extreme smoke and heat conditions, found the room of involvement and extinguished the interior fire,” according to South Beach Regional Fire Authority public information officer Katie Didion. “Simultaneously, additional crews extinguished the fire which had ignited the exterior of the structure.”

The fire was contained to the room where the fire originated, but did cause heavy smoke damage to the rest of that apartment.

“The quick knockdown and extinguishment of this fire made for a good outcome,” said Didion. “The structure is considered a ‘save.’ South Beach Regional Fire Authority attributes this to teamwork, training, communication, and partnerships.”

Two main factors, said Didion, contributed to the positive outcome.

“First, there was a volunteer firefighter immediately on-scene who worked with the Westport Police to evacuate the building of occupants and gave incoming crews a good scene size-up, a description and the location of the fire. This information is crucial. With this information, the incoming crews can form their plans before getting to the emergency event.”

Second, the fire originated in the upper story apartment bedroom, and that door was closed.

“Closed doors act as a short term fire barrier, and in this case, contained the flames inside the bedroom just long enough for the South Beach Regional Fire Authority crews to respond to the location and with their quick and aggressive attack, contain the fire to that room of origin,” said Didion.

The fire is currently under investigation.