No Evidence of Arson at Hartford Apartment Fire

Officials are investigating a suspicious late-night fire at an apartment complex in the city's North End in Hartford that displaced more than 20 people, including a dozen children, but said there is no physical evidence to suggest arson.

Some residents said they believe a resident started the two-alarm fire at 390 and 392 Bellevue Street just before 11 p.m. that spread a thick cloud of smoke over parts of the city on Tuesday night, but fire officials haven't determined the cause of the fire.

Police said rumors and statements at the scene implied it was arson and arson detectives interviewed several people, but no one has been arrested or taken into custody. 

Resident Kolaiah Davis-Muff said her daughter almost didn't make it out.

"One of my daughters was really asleep and we had to run back in the house to get her because she wasn't waking up, " Davis-Muff said."There was so much smoke we didn't know what to do, we didn't know if we were going to survive."

The residents in the apartment are a tight-knit community and helped each other get out of the building safely. The American Red Cross and the City of Hartford's relocation services are both providing assistance to the families.

Ambulances responded to the scene, but it's unknown whether anyone was injured.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

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