The scene was almost surreal when area firefighters responded to a report of a fire in a four-story apartment building on Jefferson Avenue in Bellevue during the early morning hours of Friday, May 15.

Bellevue Fire Chief Glenn Pritchard was among the first on scene just before 2:30 a.m., and saw people leaning from windows, waving and yelling, with heavy smoke pouring out over their heads.

“It’s something you hope never happens,” Pritchard said. “But you have to be ready when it does.”