Fire Damages Tulsa Apartment Building

Twelve people are getting help from the Red Cross after a Friday morning fire damaged an apartment complex off 71st Street between Memorial and Mingo.  

I spoke with several neighbors, who credit a friend with saving their lives.

"Thank you, Jessica so much. I love you, baby. Because if it hadn't been for you I would have been asleep, probably touched by the fire. Thank you," said Brenda Steele.  

Brenda Steele and her husband Tony were one of about 12 people in the Stonegate Village Apartments Friday at 5:30 a.m. when firefighters said it started. 

The Tulsa Fire Department says the cause was improper disposal of smoking materials.

"So I jumped up and grabbed my housecoat and I went knocking on all the other people's doors telling them, 'Get out, get out, on fire, on fire, get out, get out'," said Jessica Patrick.

The neighbors I talked with said Jessica's role was so important because they say they never heard fire alarms going off. 

The Tulsa Fire Department told me the smoke detector system was working and did alert some residents.

Instead of taking credit, Jessica Patrick gives the credit to another friend.  

"She saved our lives," said Jessica Patrick.  

That friend, according to Jessica was on her way to work and woke up Jessica and called 911.