Dozens of people had to evacuate an apartment building in west Edmonton Sunday morning after a fire broke out in the building.

“The fire alarms were going off, firemen were banging on our door,” said Kimberly Emard, who lives in the building on the corner of 177 street and 81 Ave.

Kimberly Emard, who is scheduled to get married Sunday afternoon, says she barely had time to grab her wedding dress before escapingthe building. (CBC News)

Fire crews were called to the building shortly after 5:15 a.m. When they arrived, they found a third-floor suite engulfed in flames.

An elderly woman had to be rescued from the balcony of that apartment.

Another man was helped from a nearby hallway.

Emard, who lived on the second floor, says the flames were “unbelievable.”

She says she woke up her family - who were staying with her to attend her wedding Sunday afternoon - then gathered up her wedding dress and fled the building.

“We’re alive and everybody’s okay,” she said.

District Chief Randy Shakura says firefighters were able to get the fire under control after about 30 minutes. (CBC News)

Fire Rescue District Chief Randy Shakura says emergency crews took half-an-hour to get the fire under control, and that damage was mostly contained to the third-floor suite.

“It could have been a lot worse. We were very fortunate,” said Randy Shakura.

In total, fire crews evacuated 35 people. Two people were sent to hospital because of smoke inhalation.

Investigators determined the fire was caused by smoker material.

The Canadian Red Cross says it is now helping 44 people from the building, providing them with food, shelter and personal items. Fire officials said they were not able to say when people could return to their homes.