Cigarette Blamed For North Carolina Apartment Blaze
CHARLOTTE, N.C. --
Two people were injured during a fire in uptown Charlotte's Fourth Ward early Thursday.
Firefighters were called to Edwin Towers, a government-subsidized apartment building on West 10th Street, just before 6 a.m. Investigators say a woman didn??t completely put her cigarette out before throwing it away, causing her fifth-floor living room to catch on fire.
That woman suffered serious burns and had to be flown to Chapel Hill??s burn center for treatment. Her injuries are considered life threatening, and friends told Eyewitness News they??re praying she pulls through.
Another resident was taken to Carolinas Medical Center for treatment after being upset by the blaze. That person is expected to be OK.
Capt. Rob Brisley of the Charlotte Fire Department said the fire was quickly under control so only one apartment sustained damage. The damage to the building, owned by the Charlotte Housing Authority, is estimated at $10,000.
About 30 people were evacuated during the fire, but all have been allowed back into their homes. Residents said they??re still in shock, and hoping for the best.
Vickie Norket said she is friends with the burn victim.
??She was in my place yesterday and gave me some pictures of some little puppies because I??m an animal lover,?? she said.
Sanford Howie, also a resident of Edwin Towers, said residents are allowed to smoke inside even though the building doesn??t have a sprinkler system. He said he shared cigarettes with the victim, but they usually went outside.
??We??d probably be sitting here right now,?? he said. ??She was a real nice person.??
Friends said the woman had been battling several illnesses, but none imagined she would face such a trauma on top of her illnesses.
??She's got several health problems, and she told me she's right with the Lord and she's ready to go,?? Norket said.
The woman's name has not been released.
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