COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Almost a dozen families are left homeless after a fire tore through a Clayton County townhome community early Wednesday morning.
The county deputy fire chief said low water pressure made it harder for firefighters to get the blaze under control.
Morgan Barnes moved into the complex off Riverdale Road in 2019 and said she had no issues until frozen pipes left her without water for the past four days.
Now a pile of rubble and ashes are all that are left of her home. The smell of smoke fills the air hours later. Charred memories are all that remain of the building Barnes lived in at Lakeside Townhomes.
“I was scared and just trying to figure out what’s going on," Barnes said.
Barnes said a smoke alarm woke up her around 5 a.m. She thought she was still in a dream.
“The stairs were on fire," Barnes said. "Fortunately, these apartments have an upstairs balcony and a downstairs balcony.”
Barnes and her boyfriend climbed down a ladder from the second-floor balcony to escape.
“The building was literally engulfed in flames, and I knew that was it. There wasn’t anything I could do," Barnes said.
Gail Hines has loved the townhome community for years and woke up to see the building completely engulfed.
“It just makes me feel devastated," Hines said. "I like to see things grow and not destruct. It breaks my heart. They’ve lost everything. That pile that looks like trash, that’s everything that someone owned.”
Hines said the entire complex has been without water since Christmas Eve.
“The pipes froze. Basically, the water company said when the sun comes out, the pipes would unfreeze," Hines said.
“It’s a hot mess," Barnes said.
Barnes escaped with her life and only the clothes she had on.
“Fortunately, I have renter’s insurance. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, but I’m going to take those steps to make sure I can file a claim," Barnes said. "My sister told me it’s a fresh start.”
The Red Cross is now helping the 11 families displaced by the fire.
The cause of the fire has not been determined at this point. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
This isn't the first issue with water in the College Park area. Several businesses report still having no water, and a lack of water is also to blame for another fire earlier in the week. 11Alive is following the latest developments -- click here to read.