May 24, 2012
UPDATE 7/20/11 @ 6:30 p.m.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Five families are starting from scratch after losing their homes Tuesday night.
Fire ripped through their apartment building along Lewis Street on Charleston’s East End.
“We had went to the store and on the way back someone called me and said my apartment was on fire,” Gary Martin said.
Martin and his two teenage daughters rushed home. When they got there, the building was filled with smoke.
“I was just walking down the street and the side of the house caught on fire. I'm thinking it's from an air conditioner,” Kennisha Mitchell, a neighbor,said.
Martin's family wasn't able to salvage any of their belongings, but a firefighter was able to rescue their dog, Rosco.
“We was lucky, real lucky,” Martin said. “He's a lucky dog.”
Martin says they’re lucky to be alive and well, but the real battle is just beginning.
“We're gonna pull through this no matter what,” Martin said.
Martin is determined to find a new place to live, but he has to do it soon. The Red Cross is stepping in but can only grant them two more nights in a motel. Then, they're on their own.
“I want my kids to be OK, feel comfortable going to school without worrying about where we're gonna lay our heads tonight,” Martin said. “We've lost everything. The only thing we had was the clothes on our backs.”
Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the fire. However, they believe it started in an air conditioning unit.
Metro 911 dispatchers say heavy smoke and flames were spotted coming from the building along Lewis Street just after 10:30 p.m.
There are five apartments in the building, but everyone made it out safely.
Firefighters got the fire under control quickly, but had to rescue a few animals from the building.
A fire investigator tells WSAZ.com the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, but it appears an AC unit could have caused it.
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