TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Andrew Buchanan was still asleep Tuesday morning just before 9:00 a-m at his Azalea Gardens apartment on Ida Street in Tupelo when all of a sudden smoke and flames got him out of bed.
Buchanan said, "It was smoke coming out of the vent. It just scared me."
Buchanan quickly made it out of the bedroom and out the front door to call for help.
Buchanan explained, "Yes, I just ran next door. I started beating on doors. I just started beating on doors and told them to call 911. I couldn't even answer my phone. I didn't know nothing. I was just out of it."
Tupelo Fire Department officials say an unattended candle somehow caught the bedroom dresser on fire.
Buchanan was not hurt and firemen were able to contain the fire to this one unit.
Neighbors and others who live in the apartment complex say it's a scary situation that could've been worse.
Neighbor Reginald Adair said, "The apartments are so close together and connected. If one apartment catches fire, then it can spread to the whole complex."
The Tupelo Fire Department works with residents of apartment buildings in the city to help prevent fires.
Fire Marshal Jason Cross said, "We come into apartment complexes and do fire safety blitzes. We try to make contact with everyone and do some good, general fire safety education. We teach people about cooking, candles and space heaters."
Cross says this fire serves as a reminder of how easily and quickly a fire can start and spread.
The apartment manager says the smoke detector in the unit was working, which may have helped prevent even more damage.
