More than a dozen families forced have been out of their homes by an apartment fire in Conway. The flames destroyed two units. Fire officials say over 20 people who live in the South Donaghey Apartments had to find somewhere else to stay Saturday night after a fire broke out in one unit. Some occupants were able to return and one is recovering from injuries.
“It was pretty big. It was blowing that way. We had to move all the cars,” said witness Johnny Catalany.
“Our first crew arrived on the scene at 9:33 p.m. Heavy smoke and fire [was] visible,” said Mike Winter of the Conway Fire Department.
“When I came out here I saw the guy laying on the ground so I called 911,” Catalany said.
The occupant of the unit where the fire started escaped and had to be treated at two hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation. The whole block of apartments had to evacuate.
“The first two, the fire gutted those two. Apartment number three had slight power damage, more smoke damage and the fourth apartment was mostly smoke,” Winter said.
Sunday, workers arrived to board up windows and put up fencing to keep people out.
“We come out and secure the facility, put tarps on the roof,” contractor Jim Medford said.
Sunday afternoon residents in 12 of the units returned. Those in the first two apartments are without a place to call home and two additional units are also now vacant due to damage.
Fire crews got the call at 9:30 Saturday night and arrived within minutes. It took 30 to 45 minutes to put out the fire and crews stayed another hour putting out hot spots. The Red Cross provided places to stay for those displaced.
The cause of the fire is under investigation though fire officials believe it started in a bedroom. There’s no word when residents will be able to return.
