8-year-old sparks apartment fire, officials say

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY - An 8-year-old boy sparked a fire at the Uptown Square Apartment in Oklahoma City Saturday evening officials said.

The fire began in his bedroom and quickly spread, damaging two units in the complex at 1601 NW 30. When asked about the fire, the boy shrugged his shoulders and gave little response.

Buffy Spivey and her roommate, tenants living above the burning apartment, were sleeping when the blaze started.

"She woke up screaming there's a fire there's a fire, and I got up and there was smoke everywhere in our apartment," said Spivey.

The two women, along with the rest of their neighbors, were able to evacuate.

The chief on the scene said the boy could be forced participate in an educational program that focuses on fire safety and prevention.

Firefighters thanked a group of children who were playing in the pool outside of the apartment. When the children saw the smoke, they quickly pressed an emergency call button and alerted authorities of the fire.

No one was injured in the blaze and fire crews were able to extinguish the fire, but two families were displaced.