Official: Cigarette butt likely caused massive Raleigh apartment fire
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A Raleigh fire official said a cigarette butt was likely the cause of a massive fire that engulfed the Pinnacle apartments behind Crabtree Valley Mall Saturday afternoon.
According to Assistant Chief W. Keith Tessinear, the weather conditions at the time of the fire, as well as the building's elevation, contributed to how quickly the blaze spread.
Firefighters say 3 people were injured, two of them with serious burns. According to a report, a second floor resident was injured jumping to safety.
Large clouds of smoke could be seen coming from the building.
Kirstyn Tedford lives adjacent to the apartments and says her dog's barking alerted her.
"When I went outside, I saw about a third of the building up in flames," she said. She then called 911.
Dozens of firefighters responded and the teams worked quickly to put out the flames.
Fire officials say 12 units were impacted but everyone is accounted for. Some residents say their pets were home during the blaze.
The Red Cross is providing assistance.
Crews returned to the scene Sunday morning to hit the hot spots, but Tessinear did not say it was a "rekindle."
