Fire tears through a building at the University Oaks apartments on Nov. 18, 2022 (Credit: Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services, Facebook) (Supplied)
ATHENS, Ga. - Firefighters who battled a huge structure fire at University Oaks Apartments in Athens have released new details and an update on current conditions.
Building M of the multi-family structure located at 2360 West Broad Street went up in flames around 5:27 p.m on Nov. 18.
Fourteen units were damaged by the blaze, 12 of which were occupied by families.
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE MASSIVE BLAZE AT ATHENS APARTMENTS
According to the American Red Cross, 19 adults and 8 children were able to receive assistance after the incident. Some others were able to stay with family or friends to get back on their feet.
There were no injuries reported.
"We believe that the time of day and the fact that these apartments had in-date, and working smoke alarms contributed to early warning and time for escape", says Battalion Chief Nate Moss. He continues, "Events like these are a sobering reminder to check dates on our own smoke alarms and to regularly test them."
The cause of the fire is still unknown. Officials said they are still investigating it.