March 19, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2003-17) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-5806/Fax: (251) 208-5813 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org FIRE DAMAGES WEST MOBILE APARTMENT Mobile Firefighters responded to the Warren Village Apartments located at 6427 Airport Blvd early Wednesday morning, March 19, 2003. The fire originated and was confined to Apartment number T-164 located upstairs in the building. Mobile Fire-Rescue Department was notified of the fire at approximately 2:09 a.m. Firefighters arrived at approximately 2:17 a.m. and reported fire showing from a window of the second floor apartment. The fire originated in a bedroom on the South side of the apartment. There was light thermal damage adjacent to the bedroom of origin and smoke damage throughout. The cause of the fire is unintentional caused by an unattended lit candle. The occupant, Lacey Rose, told Mobile Fire Investigators that she had lit a candle at approximately 9 p.m. and then went about doing some housework in the apartment. According to Rose, later in the evening she laid down on the sofa in the living room and fell asleep. Around 2 a.m. she was awakened by the smoke detector and got up to investigate the cause. As she approached the bedroom she discovered fire where the lit candle was located. Rose then went to the bathroom to get some water to attempt to extinguish the fire, instead when she threw the water on the fire it spread it further. Rose and her 1-year-old daughter escaped unharmed. The fire caused an estimated $25 thousand in damage. No injuries were reported. Engines 6, 1, 18, truck 5, rescue 6 and District Chief John Young responded. ###