JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WHAS11) – Forty-eight apartments at the Bridgepoint Ewing Square Apartments were damaged after a fire in the 1900 block of Viking Drive in Jeffersonville, Ind. on April 16.
Some apartments are a complete loss, others are smoke damaged.
Some residents escaped with only the clothes on their backs.
"My phone and my grand-daughter, that's all I got I just grabbed her and we ran out," Debra Allen said.
"We didn't get anything out, money, nothing. We're broke, well we had money but it was in there. Everything is gone, but we are alive," Carol Robben said.
"It's scary, it's very scary. I mean you are losing your home you are losing everything," Mary Bradley.
Only one person received minor injuries from jumping out of a second story window. It took three fire departments more than three hours to put out the blaze, windy conditions making matters more difficult. Jeffersonville, Clarksville, and Utica Township Fire fought the fire while New Albany was positioned to take other runs in Jeffersonville.
For many residents their biggest concern was their pets. Firefighters rescued at least five animals including "Spirit" who after oxygen treatment was reunited with her owner Aaron Trich.
"It's the only thing I have I don't have any kids I haven't been blessed with any yet, so that's kind of like a kid to me so I'm just thankful they got her out," Trich said.
Then late in the afternoon Shelby Watson was reunited with his pets
"My animals were still locked in the house. I was devastated man with this fire. They retrieved my iguana my three rats... They went straight in and got them. They went, no questions asked," Watson said.
Some of those displaced are staying with family, but almost 30 are staying at the Red Cross shelter at the nearby Bridge Point elementary school.
Carol Robben, who grabbed only her grand-daughters and ran out of the building, is so thankful to have somewhere to stay.
"I'm so grateful yes, oh my gosh, and that little lady brought me some sockies. I had no shoes on. I had no medicine. No nothing, but they are going to take care of us so we are fine we are good," Robben said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Jeffersonville Fire Chief Eric Hedrick says the investigation could take a week.
It took three fire departments more than three hours to put out the blaze.
