Man falls asleep while smoking, starts house fire in Durham
DURHAM (WTVD) -- A fire broke out in the 1000 block of Oakland Avenue in Durham early Saturday morning, authorities said.
Authorities said the fire started just before 3 a.m. A neighbor called 911 to report flames coming from the back side of the house.
The fire started when one of the people inside the house fell asleep while smoking. Authorities said he woke up and found his mattress on fire, which he tried to put out with water bottles.
When the fire did not go out, he tried to drag the mattress outside, but it got stuck. He left the mattress and escaped the building. A second person inside the home was able to escape the building in time.
Our crew on the scene was told one of the home's occupants was treated for smoke inhalation. The Red Cross is helping the residents.
