The sun hadn’t yet risen Friday when several College Park residents were jolted out of their sleep as a massive fire quickly spread through their apartment building.
“I woke up this morning; I heard somebody running around the hallway hollering, ‘Fire! Fire!’” resident Nathan Tillman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as he stood in the cold watching firefighters battle the blaze. “I looked up, and I saw smoke coming out in my room.”
Tillman said he threw on some clothes, grabbed his dog and ran out.
He and at least 22 others made it out safely as the flames grew to massive proportions and engulfed several top-floor units at The Langston Apartments on Godby Road around 5 a.m. No major injuries were reported, fire officials said.
Evacuees were left standing in the 30- and 40-degree weather as they watched the flames engulf their homes. Fire billowed out of a balcony, bathing patio furniture in the orange glow of raging flames.
“No socks, no nothing. This is my work shirt! You feel me? I’m pretty much cold,” Deandre Franklin told Channel 2 Action News as he stood in the parking lot in his long-sleeve shirt and basketball shorts with shoes but no socks.
Firefighters worked to douse the stubborn flames, which were shooting through the roof at one point and appeared to have consumed several units in one building, the news station reported.
By 8 a.m., officials said four upper units had been burned extensively. The rest had smoke and water damage.
“We did have some tenants that were treated and given oxygen, but there was no major illnesses or injuries,” Division Chief Ron Taylor said.
The Red Cross was at the scene and helped the affected families by providing comfort kits and assistance with recovery planning.
Officials have not said what caused the blaze.
Anyone wanting to help disaster victims can donate to American Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting redcross.org/donate, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
