UPDATE: DeKalb apartment fire displaces 17 families

At least 17 families are in need of new homes after a fire tore through a DeKalb County apartment building Friday afternoon.

The blaze destroyed a 20-unit building at the Wood Terrace Apartments near I-85, just outside Doraville, Red Cross spokeswoman Sherry Nicholson said. She added that 19 of the units were occupied.

DeKalb fire spokesman Capt. Dion Bentley said nobody was injured in the fire, which began just before 5 p.m. The cause remains under investigation.

The Red Cross is assisting 42 people who were displaced in the blaze and providing the residents with temporary lodging, food, clothing, medication and other essentials, Nicholson said.

“Red Cross caseworkers will continue to work with the families in the weeks ahead to help them get back on their feet, which includes sharing additional recovery resources available to them in the community,” she said.

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