Fire Rips Through Two Apartment Buildings In Johnson County
Fire Rips Through Two Apartment Buildings In Johnson County Save Email Print
Posted: 4:28 PM May 10, 2008
Last Updated: 4:49 PM May 10, 2008
Reporter: Peter O'Connor
Email Address: peter.oconnor@wymtnews.com

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Several Eastern Kentucky families are homeless after an early morning fire rips through two different buildings. The two apartment buildings on Combs Drive in Johnson County are unlivable and that leaves the people that called them home looking for a new place to live.

Just after five Saturday morning, fire officials say they got the call an apartment building near the W.R. Castle Fire Station in Wittensville had caught fire. While fire fighters were fighting the flames, another fire broke out at a building just down the road. While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, four families are without a home to call their own.

"I'm just freaking out scared. I ain't got no where to go now or nothing," said Christy Sadler.

As the fire victims figure out where they will sleep, fire officials say it is too early to tell what caused the fire.

"We had probably been at the first one for maybe an hour or so before we started seeing smoke at the second one," said Brian Jeffers with the W.R. Castle Volunteer Fire Department.

But what they can tell us is a second apartment building up the hollow caught fire. Fire officials say they contained the second blaze a short time later. Jeffers says nobody was seriously injured.

"The first building has four apartments in it. One was rented out those occupants are apparently okay. The other unit or other building also had four units. Two were rented out, nobody hurt there either," Jeffers said.

Still those looking for a new home say the fire did enough damage.

"I have lost everything. I've lost all my babies pictures," Sadler said.

Sadler says she plans to stay with her family until she can figure out what to do next.

The fire also burned through cables from a utility pole nearby. Foothills Telephone officials say 2,000 people in the area are without phone and internet. They hope to restore service Sunday.

The four families that do not have a place to live received some much needed help from the Big Sandy Area Red Cross. Robyn Tackett with the Red Cross confirmed all families will have shelter and food until they can get back on their feet.

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Posted by: Anonymous Location: Floyd County on May 10, 2008 at 07:12 PM
What a miracle, no lives lost. A big Thank you to the Big Sandy Area Red Cross.

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