Southside fire investigators said they believe some type of smoking material started a fire on Whitemarsh Island on Friday morning.
The fire sparked just after 7 a.m. in the 1500 building of the Island Tree apartments on Johnny Mercer Boulevard.
Four units in total were damaged by fire and water in the 1500 building at the complex. Another four units were damaged from the smoke.
Fire investigators said they believe the material was placed into a potted plant - and smoldered all night - before bursting into flames.
"The fire is out at this time. [The] top two apartments are damaged. There will be some water and possibly fire damage on the bottom floor. We have guys going through that now to see whether or not anything is going on there," said Hugh Futrell, assistant chief Southside Fire, EMS and Security.
"They are having to pull out ceilings. There are double ceilings. You have an attic floor then the ceiling, so you have to pull that out and get to attic. Getting into the crawl spaces is the tough part," Futrell said.
All of the residents escaped - some did without a shirt or just with their iPad. One resident may have lost a cat. They will also have to find another place to live.
"I was surprised to see. It is apparent how quickly this building was consumed by fire," said Ross Howard. "I know a few years ago, when a building burned here it was a total loss. I thank God they were able to put this fire and appears it is under control."
For Howard, it's a scene he remembers all too well. It was just three years ago when another building in this complex went up in flames, but the outcome wasn't as bleak.
"At the time, there was a lot of controversy surrounding it," said Howard. "I am not sure how that fire started. There was an issue getting water back to area. I was thrilled to see the fire department was here and the plugs were working."
Howard said these residents may be covered thanks to some lessons learned from the past.
"I know this company requires its residents to keep renters' insurance, so hopefully they will have enough insurance to cover loss," said Howard.
The American Red Cross was at the scene within an hour of the fire and will assist the victims.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Copyright 2012 WTOC. All rights reserved.
0 comments:
Post a Comment