WAYCROSS, Fla. — Tonight, several local families are wondering what’s next, after losing their homes on Christmas because of a fire. Multiple people were hurt, and one person was taken to the hospital.
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Sadly, Christmas wasn’t so merry for some families in Waycross, Georgia.
“Very very sad,” Cedric Caine said. “Not happy at all about it, I’m very sad – a weird ill-felling in the belly if that’s how you want to describe, but yea not good.”
Caine just moved into the apartment complex on Gilmore Street about six months ago. And on Christmas day, it goes up in flames.
“We were inside cooking celebrating Christmas and everything like that and next thing you know the lady came up stairs knocking on everyone’s door screaming, ‘fire, fire get out everybody, get out! Fire, fire – the place is on fire, let’s go,’” Caine said.
Around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Waycross Fire Crews responded to a home fully engulfed in flames with people trapped inside.
Interim Fire Chief Jim Blackburn said three people needed medical attention – two people refused, and one person was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
“It’s terrible, but it’s part of what we do,” Blackburn said. “We hate it, especially being on Christmas Day.”
Hours later and smoke was still billowing out of this apartment complex. Blackburn said it’s partly because it’s an old structure.
“This is a balloon construction, old Victorian style home, probably one of the older homes in Waycross,” Blackburn said. “So the fire has traveled up the walls into the attics and right now we’re trying to get into the attic space and try to get the rest of the remaining fire out.”
The structure is a total loss. it has eight apartments inside, but Blackburn said luckily everyone got out.
One neighbor even said he ran into action when he saw the flames.
“I would have felt real sick if somebody else would have died and I just sat and stood there, so I just stepped up and did my part cause that’s what you’re supposed to do,” neighbor Seth Waldon said.
Neighbors and tenants are heartbroken about the loss.
“I know one is in the hospital crying because he lost his apartment,” Caine said. “It was his apartment originally that started the fire.”
Caine said he plans to stay with friends tonight, but said his job is going to try and help him too.
Despite the devastation on Christmas, he said he’s counting his blessing.
“Very lucky to be alive,” Caine said. “[It’s] another day above ground.
Blackburn said the American Red Cross has been notified and will be helping those affected. He also said the State Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the fire.
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