Three people were rescued while firefighters struggled to find water to extinguish a blaze at a Clayton County townhome complex Wednesday morning, officials said.
Recent freezing temperatures have strained water distribution centers, causing low water pressure in fire hydrants, Clayton fire spokeswoman Joanne Southerland said. Since Christmas morning, homes at the Lakeside Townhomes near Riverdale Road have also been without water, a resident told Channel 2 Action News.
The lack of water became an even bigger issue when a fire was reported at about 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Three people were trapped on the second floor when crews arrived. They were rescued from the burning structure and no other injuries were reported, Southerland said.
But at least six units of the complex burned to the ground, Channel 2 reported. A total of 18 people were impacted by the blaze, 11 of whom the American Red Cross assisted with resources.
The water shortage meant that for about 35 minutes, the fire just continued burning until crews were able to secure enough water, residents and officials told the news station. Firefighters were able to acquire water from nearby hydrants and utilized a water tanker, Southerland said.
“There was nothing they could do, just let the building burn,” resident Aseelah Muhammad said.
Muhammad and her husband made it out safely. She was grateful they walked away with their lives, but they lost everything else.
“You got memories, everything in there, but the best thing is that we both got out of there,” she said.
Officials have not said what caused the fire. But Southerland expressed the importance of having a functioning smoke alarm inside the home and creating an escape plan.
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