COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A fire tore through an apartment building in Cobb County that provided long-term housing for homeless people.
Many lost everything in Monday night’s fire and for now are staying in motel rooms.
Witnesses said they saw people running out of the burning building. The fire erupted around 10 p.m. Monday. The cause still isn’t known.
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A witness who lives across from the building that caught fire described panic and chaos as flames roared through hallways and apartments.
“All of a sudden I heard people scream, ‘Fire! Fire! Help! Help!’ and they were running out,” she said.
The neighbor said she was scared people might get caught in the building
“The flames were very high, and the fire was burning rapidly,” she said.
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The apartment building is owned by Must Ministries, a charitable organization dedicated to finding permanent housing for the homeless and helping them rebuild their lives.
Dr. Dwight “Ike” Reighard, the group’s leader, feared for the worst when he learned of the fire last night.
“Until you know someone was able to get everyone accounted for, it was a frightening time for us,” Reighard said.
The fire displaced 16 people who had been living in eight apartments.
“For those 16 people, they have already gone through the trauma of homelessness and now they have to turn around and regroup their lives having lost everything,” Reighard said.
Everyone got out of the burning building okay, although some needed help.
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One person was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, but no one was seriously hurt.
The Red Cross has put up the displaced residents in motel rooms while Must Ministries works to relocate them to other apartments.
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