New Year’s day fire destroys North Macon apartments

Four units damaged at The Park at Northside apartments; no injuries

Two units suffered extensive fire and water damage

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – An early morning fire at The Park at Northside apartment complex forces residents to evacuate.

Kayla Jackson lives in the apartment where the fire started, she described the moment she woke up to flames.

“I instantly went into survival mode. I instantly went into ok something has got to be done. My neighbors got kids. I wasn’t even thinking about me, I was thinking about the babies,” Jackson said.

Jackson told us she woke up New Year’s day and started to make breakfast. While cooking, she fell asleep. She woke up to a smoke and fire filled apartment and sprung into action.

“I got my kitchen extinguisher that they have in there and tried to put it out, but I used all of it, so it ran out,” Jackson said.

That’s when she grabbed water bottles.

“So I got water bottles in my kitchen, so I went and tried to open up as many bottles as I could to put the fire out, but it wasn’t working. It just spread… fast,” she said.

Jackson’s next-door neighbor, Maliek Montgomery, was getting ready for the gym when he smelled smoke. When he left his bedroom, that’s when he realized what was happening.

“When I came out, the kitchen ceiling light had fell in and it was water running, so I got my girlfriend, got out the house. And when I got outside I seen that the apartment next to us kitchen had caught on fire and I helped the girl get out of there,” Montgomery said.

Fire crews arrived and put out the blaze, but not without multiple units responding, according to Captain Roderick Colvard from the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department.

“We normally send two fire trucks and two area units and a rescue. We had those two respond. Because of the severity of the fire I did call for extra units,” Cpt. Colvard said.

Cpt. Colvard says Wednesday morning’s fire is exactly why smoke detectors are essential.

“At this time of morning, people are still asleep and the smoke detector goes off and alerts you and wakes you up. Therefore, it gives you a great amount of time to get out,” Cpt. Colvard said.

This morning everyone got out without anyone getting hurt. As for the baby Kayla Jackson was concerned about, his father said, “luckily the baby wasn’t here tonight, he was staying with the in-laws, so that’s a blessing.”

All together, this morning’s fire affected four of the units at the apartment complex. The Macon-Bibb County Fire Department said two of the units suffered extensive damage.