Early Moring Blaze Leaves Residents Homeless

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) An early morning blaze has left a hand full of Heritage Homes Apartments residents homeless. It took Perry firefighters almost 5 hours to extinguish the blaze.

Resident Bonita Mack witnessed the fire and says, “I started running and I kept running. Smoke was so thick and as you looked back there was like 8 fire trucks and ambulances. There were polices. They had police dogs.

Witnesses believe the fire started in one of the unit’s kitchen. Fire Chief Joel Gray says his department does not suspect arson.

Gray also says considering the time of the blaze residents are lucky to be alive. “It was what we refer to as the perfect time of night to have injuries or fatalities. People are usually in that very deep sleep,” says Gray.

The American Red Cross is working with the displaced residents. This is the second fire at the complex in 3 years. According to Gray, there is no fire hydrant on the property. He says older complexes were not required to have them when the units were constructed.