April 29, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Morning Fire Damages Apartments

A fire heavily damaged one apartment and caused smoke damage to three others this morning at the Cedar Trace Apartments, 3201 Knight Street. The fire department received several calls reporting heavy smoke coming from building 2300 of the Shreve Island complex at 8:11 a.m. When fire crews arrived, they found fire coming from upstairs apartment 2306. Firefighters reported that the living room and kitchen of the residence were totally involved in flames when they made entry.

The apartment’s lone occupant, Eric Hamilton, 27, said that he was sleeping when the smoke alarm woke him to the sight of black smoke in his bedroom. Hamilton was able to escape through the front door unharmed before firefighters arrived. Fire crews were able to confine the flames to the single apartment but smoke that made its way into the common attic of the building was able to reach other upstairs apartments causing their occupants to be evacuated. The fire was brought under control at 8:28 a.m.

A stove burner left on in the kitchen under a pot of food has been listed by fire investigators as the cause of the fire. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.

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