CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A fire at a Clayton County apartment building left about a dozen people without a home the day before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Firefighters responded around 1 p.m. Wednesday to the Park at London Apartments located at 2445 Rex Road in Ellenwood.
SKYFOX 5 flew over the apartment complex and saw severe damage to the roof and top floor of at least one building. There was heavy smoke while ladder trucks tried to extinguish the fire from above.
Firefighters at the scene of an apartment fire in Clayton County on Nov. 23, 2022. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Residents say in just a matter of minutes the entire building went up in flames.
"Somebody had to take their kids out in coats because that’s all they had left," said resident Nija Johnson.
The blaze became so hot that at one point, it melted the side of the adjacent building.
"I just got a call saying that the apartments were on fire and I rushed here to see what was going on," one resident said.
Residents say they are devastated that something like this could happen, especially as they were preparing for the holiday. Thick, black smoke could be seen rising high, visible for miles away.
"All the way from Stockbridge, you’re able to see all of the smoke that is in the air, all of the flames," said one resident who had just left work.
Firefighters say the building was completely engulfed in flames when they arrived at the scene.
Johnson, who lives in the building just across the parking lot, says she made the call to 911 after trying to use fire extinguishers to put out the fire. They also went door-to-door to try to notify as many neighbors as possible.
"He runs to the side of the building, and I’m coming down the stairs, and he say, ‘Oh, Nija, you gotta get these folks out of their house.' So, I run to get everyone out of their homes," Johnson said.
Firefighters at the scene of an apartment fire in Clayton County on Nov. 23, 2022. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Kenneth Hill, a single father of two, says he lost his dog along with all of his belongings in the blaze.
"Of course we all feel frustrated because you know there were people that lost a lot of things," Hill said.
Going into a day of giving thanks, he says he’s still grateful because it could’ve been worse.
"Knowing I got my life, I still have my daughters, I did lose my best friend, who I’ve had for 8, 9 years, but other than that it is what it is," Hill said.
Hill, like many others, are trying to figure out what to do next. The American Red Cross has stepped in to help residents impacted.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.