Over 30 displaced following apartment fire in Jackson
JACKSON, Tenn. — A fire has heavily damaged an apartment building in Jackson, and has left many displaced.
“Someone knocked on our door to let us know we were having an emergency. That’s how I found out about the fire. I just immediately got dressed and got my things and moved as fast as I could,” said Jon Cole, a resident of Royal Arms Apartments.
Cole and other residents at the Royal Arms Apartments in east Jackson stood in front of their residences as it collapsed from the inside, leaving firefighters to put out flames coming from the building.
The Jackson Fire Department responded to a call from the apartment complex, and when they arrived they immediately took action.
Firefighter Russell Downen says the cause of the fire is unknown. However they are making sure they do everything they can.
“The fire is still under investigation. When Engine 32 arrived, we did have smoke and flame visible in the second floor of the apartment building. They did go in and found out it was in the bathroom and had already gotten into the attic when we arrived so we quickly got a water supply established,” Downen said.
He also says no one was injured in the fire. Investigators will go through the debris to search for the cause.
“We let the smoke clear and all the steam clear and we’ll go back with our thermal imaging cameras to make sure we check for hot spots and see if there is anything else we need to put water on,” Downen said.
Cole says she’s grateful they made it out safely, and she’s hoping for help to find another place to stay.
“I think goodness that we all made it out, and I’m just asking if someone would help us relocate with our things that were damaged, some of us were unaware that we needed renters insurance,” Cole said.
Fire officials say 33 people were displaced from the building.
