Firefighters have extinguished a fire that destroyed an apartment building in Birmingham's Southside.



The two-alarm blaze broke out around 2:30 p.m. at Chalet Apartments, located in the 1300 block of 17th Avenue South.

The first Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel to arrive at the scene saw heavy fire and smoke emanating from the third floor, Assistant Chief Ross Sheffield said. They immediately called for additional personnel at the scene.

Fire Destroys Southside's Chalet Apartments 22 Gallery: Fire Destroys Southside's Chalet Apartments

The three-story building is situated on a steep hill, making the building difficult to access. After surrounding the building and conducting an initial search, they were able to get the fire under control.

One person was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. No other injuries have been reported, Sheffield said.

Several hours later, fire and police officials remained at the scene to check for hot spots and conduct follow-up searches.

Early indications that the fire started from a grill were not correct, and investigators say they will continue to look into the cause.

Red Cross volunteers are at the scene helping residents who were displaced.

The apartment building includes 21 one- and two-bedroom units and is managed by Red Rock Realty Group.

Authorities said the building's owners had been notified and were en route to the scene.

Updated at 5:07 p.m. with additional information from investigators