Man narrowly escapes apartment fire, Lincoln Police rescue his girlfriend who he couldn’t wake up

Kameron Mitchell, of Lincoln, was asleep in his apartment near 23rd and A streets Tuesday morning when he said he woke up to the unimaginable.

“I woke up to smoke detectors and smoke alarms going off, I couldn’t see anything,” Mitchell said. “As soon as I opened my eyes they were burning, the whole room was full of smoke.”

He said he couldn’t breathe or see and was extremely disoriented.

Mitchell said he felt his way to the bedroom window.

“I punched the window in a few times, it came out and I just dove head first out of the window,” Mitchell said.

His apartment was on fire. He got out, but he couldn’t wake his 48–year–old girlfriend up.

Luckily, police were on the scene.

“We were dispatched to the scene on reports of a vandalism because someone heard glass breaking.” Lincoln Police Officer Angela Sands said.

Mitchell said officers originally thought he was a vandal, since he was seen breaking the window of the apartment, but they quickly realized he wasn’t and that his girlfriend needed help.

“He reported his 48–year–old girlfriend was still inside. Officers could hear her screaming in the back room,” Sands said.

Three officers broke through the apartment window and carried the woman out.

Her son said couldn’t be more grateful.

“Thank you Jesus,” Dakota Ramsey, the woman’s son said. “I’m thankful it’s the holidays and for knowing she didn’t get hurt, just her belongings got hurt, but she’s okay.”

She went to the hospital where she remained as of noon Tuesday, being treated for smoke inhalation.

The three police officers who rescued her and Mitchell were also treated for smoke inhalation.

They’re all expected to be okay.

The apartment has significant damage despite a quick response from the fire department.

“Firefighters made entry and were able to extinguish the fire and contain the flames to the room of origin within 10 minutes,” Nancy Crist, public information officer for Lincoln Fire and Rescue said.

But the rest of the apartment has severe smoke and water damage.

“The Kitchen is destroyed, the bedspread, bedroom has fire damage,” Ramsey said. “Christmas presents are ruined because of water damage.”

Kameron said he’s not sure what he’s going to do next.

“It’s devastating. I mean it’s a loss no one wants to wake up to, no one wants to come home to something like that,” Mitchell said.

The damage to the apartment and contents inside adds up to $15,000.

The fire department thinks food on the stove is to blame.

And say this is a good reminder to always make sure your burners are off, candles are out and space heaters are away from anything flammable before you go to bed.