Woman Dead After Fire at East Hartford Apartment Building

A woman is dead after a fire at an East Hartford apartment building that sent multiple people to the hospital Thursday, fire officials said.

Fire officials said firefighters responding to a fire at Building 6 at 235 Main Street found 78-year-old Juana Baez unresponsive in an apartment. She died of her injuries. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined her cause of death to be thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.

Several others were rescued from the building and sent to local hospitals. One of those people was taken to the Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital with serious injuries.

Crews first responded to the 911 calls reporting the fire around 4 p.m. and found flames coming from a first floor apartment. It took 20-25 minutes to get the blaze under control.

The apartments on the ground floor have significant fire damage. The apartments on the upper floors have some smoke and heat damage. At least 12 units were impacted by the fire, officials said Thursday night.

The American Red Cross responded to assist the residents.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire.