12 people displaced, 2 cats killed in apartment fire

SAN ANTONIO - Twelve people were displaced and two cats died in an apartment fire on the Northeast Side early Thursday morning.

The fire broke out around 4:15 a.m. at the Saddlewood Apartment Homes in the 2500 block of NE Loop 410 near Starcrest Drive.

San Antonio fire officials believe the fire started when a man fell asleep in a bed with a lit cigarette. 

The batteries in the smoke alarm in the apartment had been removed, firefighters said.

The fire damage was contained to the bedroom where it started, but heavy smoke spread to two other apartments.

Several families had to temporarily leave their homes.

"They were like, 'Well, you need to make sure everybody in your apartment's awake, because we might need to evacuate you guys,' said a woman who lived in the apartment building. "And as soon as I woke up all my kids, they came in to my door, and they were like, 'You need to evacuate, because the smoke is really bad.'" 

Paramedics attempted to revive the cats with specialized equipment for animals, but were not able to save them. No residents were injured.

The American Red Cross assisted the two people who lived in the home where the fire started. 

Ten others, including eight children, stayed with family and friends. 

Damage was estimated at $40,000.

Copyright 2015 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

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