14 Families Without a Home after Fire Destroys Apartment Building

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By Jessica Gertler

Story Created: Oct 26, 2012 at 3:55 PM CDT

Story Updated: Oct 26, 2012 at 5:48 PM CDT

Authorities say the overnight apartment fire in Montgomery's Cloverdale neighborhood that left three injured and several families displaced started in a kitchen on the second floor. But investigators are still working to find out the cause.

Fourteen families lost their home in the fire Thursday night, and today they are turning to the Red Cross hoping to find some sort of relief.

Fourteen units at Rockingham Manor are being boarded up. There's little left to salvage after a fire ripped through the building on East Edgemont Avenue just before 11:00 Thursday night.

Melvin Pompey was home when it happened.

"I never have been through anything like this here though. Not at all though," says Pompey. "I lost everything up in my apartment though. I don't have nothing."

Alemandro Germany woke up to smoke. He says he would have never thought that would be the last time he slept in his own bed.

"They have put us up in a hotel for right now until everything gets situated. Then I have no idea what is going to happen," he says.

More than 15 units were on the scene. Three people received minor injuries.
Lt. K.O. Jones calls it the largest fire he's seen in years.

"We do know the fire started on the second floor in the kitchen area," he says.

It took firefighters around eight hours to put out the flames. For Pompey, he says that's the longest eight hours of his life.

"Just got to start all over. just take it day by day," he says.

Red Cross says already, community members and neighbors have reached out or donated money.

If you would like to help out,  you can call the Red Cross at (334) 260-3980.
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