Clayton County

Several units destroyed in apartment fire, impacting 5 families

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Five families are without a home after a fire ripped through their Clayton County apartment complex.

The fire happened around 11 p.m. Thursday night at the Oak Run Apartments on North Main Street in Jonesboro.

The American Red Cross is helping 19 people, including children, whose homes have been destroyed.

"Our volunteers provided emergency assistance for essentials like lodging, food and clothing," a spokesperson with Red Cross said.

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A spokesperson with the Clayton County Fire Department said no one was injured during the fire. Two apartments were destroyed, and other apartments sustained heavy smoke and water damage.

"You could literally smell like plastic burning,” said resident Kendra Harrison.

When Harrison could not get answers about the fire at her apartment complex, she took out her phone and started recording.

“I went outside. I see fire fighters everywhere and people sitting on the floor,” said Harrison. “It’s sad, it just shows that maybe they don’t care about fixing the complex because that shouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t have happened. I hope they can get some shelter especially if they have kids. I just hope they can go back to their normal lives."

Channel 2's Audrey Washington spoke with a man who witnessed some of the commotion. He told Washington he knew something was wrong when he heard children crying and screaming that late at night.

“We actually heard the children before we saw the fire, and I guess they were screaming and yelling, I guess frantic,” said Brandon J.

We reached out to management at the apartment complex, but they had no comment and told us to leave the property.

The cause of the fire is unknown.