JACKSONVILLE, Ark. – The Sherwood fire marshal is investigating a fire that occurred Tuesday evening at a Jacksonville apartment complex.
Firefighters quickly contained the damage to 13 units at the New Brittany Apartments. No one was killed or injured, but all those who were inside are now displaced by fire or water damage.
Gene Kelly lives next door to the building that burned. Around 5:30 p.m. he first noticed a window giving off heat.
“It felt like a furnace,” Kelly recalled.
Seeing fire and smoke around the back of unit 85, he called 911. His second thought was to get everyone out.
“They’re my neighbors,” Kelly said.
On Wednesday, the Mason family and the others who were in the affected apartment units were welcomed with a box of clothes, a picture frame, and anything waterlogged or smelling like smoke.
Tammi Mason’s son and his partner lived on the corner of the building where most of the roof and part of the back wall are now completely exposed.
“There’s a lot of hurt, frustration and anger going on right now,” Mason admitted.
Through hygiene care packs and funds for temporary shelter, the central Arkansas chapter of the Red Cross helped replace a raging helplessness with control.
Mason said Tuesday night her family was worried, but with help, they are a little more relieved.
“Arkansans are Arkansans and we all tend to rally around each other no matter what, just like the March 31 tornado last year,” Mason said.
New Brittany Apartments relocated those affected into empty apartments on site.