Four injured in three-alarm apartment fire in California

OAKLAND, Calif. (NBC, KYMA) - Four people, including a firefighter, were injured in a fire that swept through a Downtown Oakland apartment building Monday.

The Oakland Fire Department (OFD) says it happened in the area of 19th Street and Broadway at around 7:10 a.m. Pacific.

OFD Fire Chief Damon Covington says the fire started on the second floor, with smoke spreading through the four residential floors.

Businesses on the first floor were also damaged, including a restaurant and the Dope Era clothing store.

"Whatever is in there can be replaced. If it's some floor paneling, I'm not worried about that. I'm just happy there's no deaths. No bodies found. A few folks who may suffer from smoke inhalation, but other than that there's some minor things. It looks worse than it actually is," said Mistah F.A.B., owner of Dope Era.

One resident says smoke alarms often go off in the middle of the night, so she initially ignored them Monday morning. However, Chief Covington says that's a bad idea.

"Any time you hear an alarm ringing, do your due diligence. Come outside. See what's going on. Get outside the building, and let us make sure there is not an actual fire inside your building," Covington explained.

Covington says injuries to the firefighter are minor. Three residents are being treated for smoke inhalation.