A fire at the Ranchland Hill Apartments on Sept. 26 has been ruled accidental with smoking as a possible contributing factor, according to Midland Fire Department investigators.
A detailed investigation and interview process using witness statements and burn pattern analysis led fire officials to rule that discarded smoking materials are most likely to blame in a fire that sent the unit's tenant, 50-year-old Armentha Redman, to the hospital.
Midland Fire Department responded to the fire at the complex, which is located at 1212 E. Wadley Ave., after neighbors reported smoke coming from Redman's apartment at approximately 7:14 a.m. on Sept. 26. The neighbors attempted to alert Redman and forced entry into the unit, where they found her lying unconscious on the living room floor and pulled her to safety. Redman was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Following Redman's recovery, her account of her activities prior to the fire supported the determination authorities made regarding smoking as a contributing factor.
###Media Contact: Fire Investigator James Howard