Mattress Fire Causes Minor Damage At The Meadows Apartments

An east side man tried to take matters into his own hands when his roommate’s mattress caught fire Friday afternoon.

Upon hearing a smoke detector go off, he went into the bedroom and discovered a fire. He attempted to extinguish it but when that didn’t work he pulled the mattress onto the second-floor balcony to get it outside. He was soon met by a building maintenance worker who grabbed a dry chemical extinguisher, and first-in firefighter/paramedics on Medic 8 brought their water extinguisher to the balcony.

The group was still struggling to put out the mattress fire when Engine Company 13 arrived. The Fire Lieutenant ordered the firefighters on the balcony to throw the mattress over the rail and onto the ground. This allowed Engine 13 to thoroughly douse the mattress with their pre-connect handline and overhaul it.

Damage was slight but included the mattress, a burn on the floor, and minor fire damage to the wall. The person to whom the mattress belongs was not home at the time. Firefighters believe the fire started as a result of carelessly discarded smoking materials.