Bridgeport fire officials say the quick thinking of first responders saved the lives of three people who were trapped in a burning car.

The accident happened at the intersection of Capitol Avenue and French Street around 8 p.m. Tuesday. A witness says one of the vehicles ran a stop sign and barreled into two others.

Police say one of the three cars involved caught fire with three people inside. Firefighters used handheld extinguishers to keep the flames away from those trapped until rescuers could free them with the Jaws of Life.

A total of five people were taken to the hospital. None of them suffered injuries considered life-threatening, firefighters say.

The official cause of the crash remains under investigation.