MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis woman has died after a fire broke out in a 14-story Uptown building.
The incident happened at Barry Towers, a residential building located in the 200 block of North Lauderdale Street Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Memphis Fire Department, workers with the Memphis Housing Authority were able to evacuate 10 people from the fifth floor, extinguish the fire and pull the woman from an apartment before their crews arrived.
The victim, identified as 82-year-old Annie Harris, was rushed to the Regional Medical Center Burn Unit with second-degree burns to 50 percent of her body. She died from her injuries late Tuesday evening.
A second man was also transported for hypertension, but he is expected to be okay.
Investigators said the cause of the blaze was “careless use of smoking materials in bed.”