STARKVILLE — Fire investigators are still trying to determine what caused a Sunday morning fire in the Campus Trails apartment complex that damaged two buildings and displaced 70 residents.
State fire marshals and local investigators were on the scene Sunday afternoon and this morning. Foul play is not believed to be involved, but officials are exploring every possibility, said Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan.
Rosenhan said he believes the fire broke out just before 10:20 a.m. in the attic of Building A. Gusty winds then spread the fire to Building B, he said. The large complex is located at 100 Campus View Drive, off Blackjack Road near the Mississippi State University campus.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff”s Department deputies were the first to arrive on the scene and, upon seeing smoke and flames, rushed from door to door and evacuated the buildings.
“Once it went up in flames, it didn”t take long to spread over,” said Serena Prendergast, 19, a biology major at MSU who lived on the third floor of Building A. Each building houses 12 apartments.
Prendergast said that she smelled smoke and went to tell her roommate, when someone knocked on her door and said, “Get out, the building”s on fire.”
She watched as the fire spread between buildings, collapsing both roofs.
“The feeling you”ve lost everything is kind of overwhelming, but it”s just stuff, I guess,” she said.
The roofs and third floors of both buildings were destroyed, while the first and second floors in each received smoke and water damage, Rosenhan said. According to Rosenhan, 24 apartments were damaged.
Approximately 70 people, mostly Mississippi State University students, were displaced by the blaze. No injuries or deaths were reported.
The Oktibbeha County Red Cross was on the scene and provided approximately $12,000 worth of assistance in the form of food and clothing vouchers to 66 displaced residents, Director Becky Wilkes said.
The fire was the second at a large Starkville apartment complex in a matter of days. On April 6, an unknown person who tossed a cigarette into dry pine straw caused a fire at Crossgates Apartments, destroying three buildings and damaging four others. About 50 people were displaced by that fire. No one was injured seriously.
In late December, the deadliest fire in modern Mississippi history claimed the lives of nine people at the Academy Crossing complex in Starkville.
Like the Crossgates Apartments fire on April 6, the fire Sunday easily could have been worse, Rosenhan said.
While volunteer fire departments from throughout Oktibbeha County responded, including East Oktibbeha, Bell Schoolhouse, District 5/Oktoc and Central Oktibbeha, the Starkville Fire Department also responded with two ladder trucks and elevated hoses. By comparison, during the Crossgates fire on April 6, the Starkville Fire Department responded, and was joined by all volunteer fire departments from the county.
“If we had not had the assistance of the Starkville aerial devices, we would have had additional problems,” Rosenhan said. “It”s kind of ironic because two weeks ago they called on us, and now we called on them.”
Starkville Fire Department Chief Rodger Mann expressed a similar sentiment.
“There”s a mutual relationship with the county firefighters, as far as assistance, and over the last couple of weeks it has worked to benefit both departments well,” Mann said.
Water to fight the blaze had to be trucked in to the complex, as fire hydrants at the complex did not have sufficient pressure, officials said.
Allison Ouren, 20, a member of the MSU soccer team and Prendergast”s roommate, said that she was “in shock” as she watched firefighters fight the blaze Sunday.
“Honestly, it”s whatever right now,” she said. “I haven”t cried. I”m just making a joke about it.”
Hannah Hendrix, 20, who lived in Building B, was at church when she got a call from her roommate, who had gone home to change. Hendrix raced home after the call just in time to see her building catch fire.
“When I got here our building wasn”t on fire and within five minutes it was,” she said.
Ellen Farrish, 19, a business management major at MSU, lived on the second floor of Building A. She was driving to the MSU baseball game on Highway 12 when she noticed smoke rising from the area near Campus Trails. Moments later she saw Oktibbeha Sheriff”s Department cars speeding that direction and received multiple calls from friends saying her building was on fire.
She arrived on the scene in time to see the roof and third floor collapse.
“It was smoking hot,” she deadpanned.
None of the residents interviewed at the scene had renter”s insurance.
“We have good friends. They”re our insurance,” Farrish said with a smile.
Aubra Whitten, a staff writer for The Reflector, MSU”s student newspaper, was leaving her Campus Trails apartment for church when she saw the smoke. “I went right back inside, put down my Bible and picked up my camera,” she said. The Reflector has several pictures of the blaze posted at its Web site, www.reflector-online.com, and its Facebook page.
Although the Dec. 28 fire at Academy Crossing Apartments killed nine people and gained national attention, and the fire at Crossgates Apartments displaced approximately 50 residents, Mann is warning the public not to panic.
“The number of fires that have occurred recently, we”ve had a couple of large fires over the last three months, it”s nothing more than Starkville is accustomed to having a low number of fires,” Mann said. “Right now we”re having above-average fires. While we”re still below the state average in fires, it”s high for us. There”s no need for people being alarmed over this. This is just coincidental at best.”
Staff Writer Jason Browne contributed to this story.
HOW TO HELP VICTIMS
· Monetary contributions may be made online to the Student Relief Fund at the MSU Foundation”s Web site: www.msufoundation.com/impact/relief_fund/.
· The Red Cross is seeking monetary donations and volunteers to assist with a drive to aid the victims of recent fires in the area. Individuals or groups that would like to participate should contact Dede Edwards at 662-769-0549 or by e-mail at [email protected], or the Red Cross office at 662-323-4621. The Red Cross will be accepting monetary contributions today at the Piggly Wiggly supermarket on Highway 12. Clothing can be donated to the Salvation Army.
· Students who have needs related to housing or supplies should contact the Dean of Students office, 112 Lee Hall, or 662-325-3611.
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