Michael Crawley knows what it means to lose everything. He was once homeless. On Monday, he was forced back on the streets. "That's the only reason it's so depressing cause I really built myself back up and it's all gone again," Crawley said.
His apartment is covered in ashes. The roof, caved in from fire. It started two doors down at his mom's place. When the smoke cleared, four units were destroyed. Carla Bookman says it was an accident.
"A grandmother was frying chicken, she went to another apartment to use the phone and I think she stayed a little too long," Bookman added.
A dozen apartments were without power on the bottom floor. Water hoses and fans provided some comfort, but not much.
Crystal Parra, a tenant on the bottom floor added, "Not enough, it's hot...really hot out here...gonna faint or have a heart attack."
Two miles away, workers boarded up a home on Callisch Street. It went up in flames just hours after the apartments. Five people lived in the home and none of them were injured. Investigators call the fire suspicious and took one person into custody.
Back at the apartments, there are ten people out of a home including Crawley, his two roommates, his mom and his niece and nephew. Crawley said, "I just gave an outfit to my niece and nephew because they don't have anything at all."
He'll have to start all over again. It's an uncomfortable feeling but he has some hope. "I'm hoping my coach has arrangements for me or I'll start looking for apartments closer to campus so I can continue to go to school."
Fortunately, no one was injured in the fires. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced families.
TXT 24
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