One woman dies in apartment fire
Web Producer: Taylor Avey
Web Producer: Jackie Kent
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - An elderly Tucson woman was killed in an apartment fire Sunday night.
A fire occurred in the 1500 block of south Columbus Blvd. just before 12:00 a.m. Sunday, according to Capt. Jeff Langejans.
Langejans says neighbors called police after seeing a large volume of fire coming from the back of an apartment complex.
During the primary search of the ground floor apartment, firefighters found an elderly woman who had perished in the fire.
The blaze reached the upstairs apartment but the residents were able to evacuate without injury.
Ten units and twenty-three firefighters extinguished the two-story blaze and additional crews completed search evacuations and ventilated the apartments.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Langejans.
The two damaged units were condemned by a city inspector and the apartment residents are living elsewhere during the investigation.
Langejans says most house fire deaths occur between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., but a person's survival rate can increase by 50 percent if there is a working smoke alarm in the home.
Sprinkler systems also save lives and reduce property damage.
The apartment building that caught fire Sunday night was not equipped with a sprinkler system.
Total damage to the apartment building is estimated around $150,000.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.