Woman Drops Cigarette, Sparks Fire At Midwest City Apartment Complex

A woman says she was watching television early Monday morning when she dropped her cigarette next to her breathing machine, which started a fire that quickly spread out of control.

Around 2:30 a.m. at the Midwest Territory Apartments near N.E. 23rd Street and Midwest Boulevard, Janis Covey says she accidentally dropped a cigarette next to the mouthpiece of her CPAP machine. That ignited a fire that quickly spread to her couch, and through her apartment.

Covey quickly called 911, ran outside and began pounding on her neighbors' doors to warn them. Firefighters arrived within minutes. Crews extinguished the flames, but said a fire wall helped prevent the blaze from spreading. Covey's apartment was destroyed, but five adjoining units received only smoke damage. Still, crews say it will be a while before residents can move back into their apartments.

No one was hurt in the blaze. Covey says she lost everything in the fire. She told News 9 this has convinced her to stop smoking. She'll temporarily stay with relatives while searching for a new place to live.