Dallas

Woman Injures Hand Carrying Daughter from Burning Apartment

At least six people are homeless after six residences at a Dallas apartment complex caught fire early Monday morning.[[318613601,C]]

Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said they responded to the fire at the Spruce Square Apartments in the 400 block of South St. Augustine Drive at 1:14 a.m.

Residents told NBC 5 that maintenance workers and other residents woke them up to escape the fire that destroyed one upstairs unit. At least three other residences sustained water damage.

Resident Gekeira Cleveland cut her hand as she carried her 3-year-old daughter, Layla, out of a broken window. She said it was a terrifying ordeal for she and her daughter to wake up to the fire.

“I was scared for her,” she said. “I didn’t know what we were going to see on the other side of the window."

No other injuries were reported.

The fire was caused by "careless smoking" by someone in a second-story unit, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason L. Evans.

The American Red Cross went to the apartments to help those left homeless. Some residents were given empty apartments in the complex, but said they were still in need of blankets and other items.

NBC 5's Chris Van Horne contributed to this report.

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