ATLANTA — The Red Cross said 16 units were destroyed in an apartment complex that caught fire on Saturday. The organization’s volunteers have helped everyone displaced.
Neighbors say a broken fire hydrant complicated the response.
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Atlanta Fire & Rescue said investigators are still working on their research to determine the cause of the fire.
“Everything was taken from us,” said Deantae Birdsong. “We left with what was on our backs essentially.”
Birdsong said when he first escaped the house, he thought maybe firefighters could control it before everything is damaged.
However, he then saw them struggle to get a nearby fire hydrant to work because it was broken.
Firefighters had to get water from a street hydrant and run hoses down to the back of the complex.
“Watching your stuff burn up before your eyes is very painful,” said Aisha Bryant, a psychology student at Kennesaw State University. She lost her laptop and school books.
Her partner, Birdsong, is a teacher who has to be ready to work with kids Monday morning.
“My lesson plans and the laptop I was using are gone,” said Birdsong.
He said Bryant reluctantly started an online fundraiser to try to start over, get some work clothing, maybe a mattress to sleep on.
“Starting from the ground up,” said Birdsong.
They said at least they have each other, and all their neighbors made it out OK.
“I am grateful for the fact that everybody made it out with their lives,’ said Birdsong.
The Department of Watershed Management said the hydrant that was broken belongs to the property owner. They are responsible for fixing it.
The complex is called Woodlands and Cascade. Channel 2 Action News sent e-mails and made phone calls to the company that manages it to find out when it broke and when it will be repaired.
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