Fire heavily damaged several units of an apartment complex in southwest Atlanta Wednesday morning.
The fire broke out around 6:20 a.m. at a two-story building on Delowe Drive, Atlanta Fire Department spokeswoman Laura Alexander said. Firefighters said they were hampered by a limited number of hydrants in the complex, which is just north of Langford Parkway.
Alexander said the first hydrant firefighters accessed was dry, so crews had to use another hydrant closer to the street.
She said there were no deaths or injuries, but 20 to 25 people were displaced and five or six units were heavily damaged. She said the Red Cross has been asked to assist displaced residents.
Resident Parthenia Minor said the fire started in her townhome. She said she awoke to find “my whole wall was engulfed in flames.” After unsuccessfully trying to put the fire out, “I just grabbed my daughter and ran out and started banging on everyone’s door.”
She said she believed the fire was started by a space heater she was using.
Minor said the family lost everything in the fire, including her 3-year-old daughter’s Christmas toys.
Alexander Nelson, who said he lives in the unit next to the one where the fire started, said the lack of hydrants cost valuable time.
“I got my mom and my brother and we got out and by the time the fire department got here it took them 15 minutes to get the water going,” he said. “And the hose that they had had holes in it … the apartment could have been saved.”
Nelson said he and his family got out with their lives, but nothing else.
“I lost everything,” he said.
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