Bell Collier Village fire victims struggle to reclaim personal treasures

ATLANTA - Nearly three months after a massive fire ravaged the Bell Collier Village apartment complex on Howell Mill Road, displaced residents are still waiting for a chance to retrieve their irreplaceable belongings. 

The fire, which occurred 83 days ago, left hundreds without a home. According to fire investigators, the blaze was caused by a party of over 100 people on the rooftop of the building. "Somebody decided to start a propane grill using charcoal, which caused a large flame," said Evan Olawsky, a resident of the complex. At the time of the fire, Olawsky, an employee of the Atlanta Braves, was out of town. Although his cat was rescued, he has not yet been permitted to retrieve his belongings, including a prized possession. 

"My World Series ring from the 2021 world championship is still in there. It's one of those things that's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Olawsky said. 

Residents, including Olawsky, have expressed frustration over their lack of access to their apartments. "I've tried calling and emailing, but I only receive form letters in response," he added. He noted that his fifth-floor unit sustained heavy damage, as the fire started on the sixth floor. 

Yasming Bradford, who moved into the complex in March, voiced similar frustrations. "It's very frustrating. Extremely frustrating, especially since everyone here plays a part," she said. Bradford has also encountered obstacles in retrieving personal items from her unit, despite assurances from the property management. 

"I came by about a month ago, and two different supervisors told me they had no answers at all and that our units would not be touched," Bradford explained, sharing her particularly emotional situation: the remains of her child and her grandparents' last belongings are still inside the apartment. 

"The remains of my child are inside. Someone from Bell promised to retrieve them, but they never followed through," Bradford said. "It's just hard when you've lost people, and it makes you feel like you're losing them all over again." 

In response to inquiries, the apartment management company issued a statement saying, "Retrieval of belongings from individual apartments has been underway for several weeks, and many items have been transferred to a climate-controlled storage facility located in the metro area. In some cases, however, damage to individual units was determined by inspectors to be a total loss." 

However, residents say they have not been allowed to go through their items before they are discarded. "If the stuff has been brought out of the unit and put into a dumpster, then why can't you let me look at it?" Olawsky asked. "Why can't you give it to me? Like the ring. The ring is fine. It's not going to be damaged by mold or water or even smoke." 

Bradford echoed the sentiment, criticizing the management for what she described as a lack of empathy. "Just the lack of care and humanity has been very disappointing, especially for a company where you put your money in to make sure they survive, and they could care less if you have what you need to survive," she said. 

For now, residents remain in limbo, hoping for the chance to retrieve their personal items before they are lost forever.