By Kendrick Marshall
The Tulsa World
TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa firefighter was injured while battling an apartment fire that displaced 18 families early Friday.
A mattress caught fire just after 4 a.m. in an apartment building near North Birmingham Place and Independence Street, District 4 Fire Chief Bennie Herring said.
Smoke and flames filled the second floor, and some residents escaped through windows to find safety on the roof, he said.
The tenants were rescued unharmed.
Herring said a firefighter fell about 10 to 12 feet from a ladder while battling the blaze.
The firefighter was taken by ambulance to the Oklahoma State University Medical Center, where he was treated for a shoulder injury and released, Herring said.
Investigators determined that the fire was caused by a resident who dropped a cigarette while smoking in bed.
The Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross assisted the families who were displaced by the fire.
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(c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.)
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