Three people were displaced from their home Sunday afternoon after a bedroom fire in their apartment.
A neighbor called 911 and reported smoke coming from the vents just before 1 p.m.
No smoke alarms were sounding when Tucson Fire crews arrived at the apartment near 5th and Wilmot. When firefighters located a smoke alarm they noted that it was missing a battery.
All three residents made it safely outside and no one was injured.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but firefighters say it appears that a plugged in portable battery pack may have malfunctioned and started the fire.
The importance of functioning alarms is stressed in a TFD media release:
"We cannot stress the importance of a functioning smoke and carbon monoxide alarms! Please ensure that you have them and that they are fully functional! Also, when electrical items are plugged in for charging it is important to keep an eye on them due to the potential of something like this happening!"
