11-YEAR-OLD CHILD SERIOUSLY BURNED IN PONCA CITY APARTMENT FIRE

PONCA CITY, OKLA. (TUC) — An apartment fire broke out at the Copper Ridge Apartments, located on West Highland Ave. near Waverly St. in Ponca City, during the very early morning hours on Thursday.

Ponca City firefighters arrived at the complex around 1:30 a.m. and reportedly saw flames and thick black smoke coming from the building. Fire crews immediately began working to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading any further, while residents were evacuated from the complex.

Sadly, an 11-year-old child suffered serious burns to their arms during the fire. Due to the extent of their injuries, the child had to be transported by helicopter to a hospital in Wichita for further treatment.

At this point, it’s still unclear what may have caused the fire, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The identity of the child will not be released due to them being a minor and, most importantly, out of respect for the child and their family. Their current condition is unknown, but we are praying hard for this child and their family as they go through something no family ever wants to experience. We truly hope to hear that they are recovering and doing okay very soon.

We will be following this closely and will report back as more information is released by the authorities.