After a fire displaced 68 apartment residents, a Fort Worth woman learned there are certain things you don't want to do when you lose your flashlight.
The residents were evacuated after a two-alarm fire broke out Monday afternoon at the Park Meadows Apartment in the 2700 block of Yeager Street.
The complex is an assisted-living facility for the elderly and one third of the residents use a walker, electric scooter or wheelchair, according to management.
Six people were treated for minor smoke inhalation, one was transported to the hospital, and one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, fire officials said.
A resident told investigators that when she was looking for something under her bed, she was unable to find her flashlight, and instead used a cigarette lighter to try and see underneath, Lt. Kent Worley said Tuesday.
When the flame of the lighter ignited the mattress she tried to fight the fire with water from her sink, he said. After the flames set off the smoke alarm, a maintenance worker went to the apartment and safely removed the resident.
The fire has been classified as “accidental” and no charges will be filed, Worley said.
