The dangers of improperly discarded cigarettes in beautiful apartment buildings was highlighted in a recent example. A fire that broke out in a Denton, Texas city apartment complex has left one family stranded and several others with damage repair. The fire, which triggered two fire alarms, erupted just before 3 p.m. Tuesday three days before Christmas, according to the Dallas-Fort Worth NBC affiliate NBCDFW.com.
Witnesses reported seeing flames shooting out the roof of the building. In total, eight units were damaged, but only one was completely ravaged. That unit belonged to Ashley Bean. She lives there with her boyfriend, Jarrod Brooks, and has called the city apartment rental home for two years.
Bean told reporters that she and Brooks would be homeless right now if it wasn’t for the help and support of family and friends.
“We’re still kind of in shock. I don’t really know what to feel,” said Bean, after seeing the mess Wednesday morning. “It’s definitely been hard, just to wake up and realize there’s nothing there anymore.”
The tragic situation is believed to have been accidentally caused by one of the residents of the apartment that was destroyed, according to investigators with the Denton Fire Department. Investigators say an improperly discarded cigarette on the balcony of the couple’s city apartment started the fire that resulted in about $400,000 in damage.
Bean, Brooks, and others renting an apartment in the complex were very lucky in the sense that no one was seriously injured or killed in the fire. Improperly discarded cigarettes that are are a leading cause of fire deaths, which is why every apartment should have at least one smoke detector that should be replaced on a regular basis in accordance with the manufacturer?s recommendation, but at least once every ten years.
Even the couples three cats were able to avoid certain peril by taking refuge in the box spring of the mattress in their bedroom. Bean said the firefighters told her it actually ventilated the air for them and ultimately kept them alive throughout the blaze.
With the help of co-workers and the American Red Cross the couple has been provided clothes, provisions, and temporary lodging in a nearby hotel.
The unfortunate situation is another reminder of the damage cigarettes can cause, especially when you rent an apartment.
