It's the first fatal fire to hit College Station in ten years.

Mary Holliday, 62, lost her life during an apartment fire Saturday night at the Meridian Apartment complex. When crews arrived on scene, they found her unconscious but still breathing. Holliday was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Dozens watched as she was pulled from her smoke filled apartment Saturday night. Bart Humphrey's with the College Station Police Department says investigators believe she may have been trapped inside for hours.

“If the smoke detector would have been functioning there's a good possibility the fatality could have been prevented.”

Property management is required to make sure every tenant has a working smoke alarm when they move in. It's the residents responsibility from that point forward to make sure it works.

“There was a battery in the smoke alarm but it was dead.”

The four residents who live in Holliday's building were displaced from their homes. When that happens, a couple of organizations help them pick up the pieces.

The Community Action Response Team, or C.A.R.T is part of the fire department. Texas A&M has a similar program called The Critical Incident Response Team, or C.I.R.T. Both are made up of volunteers who respond to residential fires, just like firefighters. But, instead of fighting flames, they focus on the victims.

Cindy Giedraitis, who coordinates C.A.R.T. says, “When you have a fire sometimes it takes several hours before they're able to get their purse ,their keys, their rings. We've had some Aggies who've experienced this very recently. We help them take that next step. Everything from gathering their belongings to helping them find a place to stay, to providing basic necessities.”

If you don't have a working smoke alarm or if you need help with installation or maintenance, you can call The College Station Fire Department at 764-3712.

C.S.F.D is also offering free alarms to those who meet certain qualifications.