LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS, Sixteen families were displaced after a late-night fire at the Fairfield Apartments on Green Mountain Drive, authorities said.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight in Building D of the complex. No injuries were reported, but several residents escaped with only the clothes they were wearing.
Jasean Brent, a resident and firefighter with the Little Rock Fire Department, said he received a notification about the address and went to check on the situation.
“I said, ‘1912 Green Mountain? That’s where I live,’” Brent said. When he arrived, he saw part of the building had been damaged by fire.
Although Brent’s apartment was not affected, he noted that fires in multi-unit complexes can quickly impact many households.
“Whatever you’re doing can affect other people,” he said. “Stuff like this can happen, and it will happen, and put people out of their homes.”
Sarah Thomas said her family had only moments to react.
“My husband runs into our room, and he starts waking everyone up, saying, ‘There’s smoke. There’s a fire. We’ve got to go,’” Thomas said. She said the warning came shortly before alarms and sirens sounded.
The family left with very few belongings.
“All we have right now are clothes,” she said.
Another resident, Samuel Okyere, said he woke around 1 a.m. to the smell of smoke and left as ceiling panels began falling inside his apartment.
“We left right as some of the ceiling panels were starting to fall,” Okyere said.
The American Red Cross responded to assist displaced residents. Temporary shelter has been arranged at a local church for those affected.
The Little Rock Fire Department said apartment management is working to secure residents’ belongings and coordinate with insurance providers as families seek longer-term housing.
The cause of the fire has not yet been released.
