A cooking fire forced residents in four units of a quadraplex from their homes Saturday at the housing projects on Circle Drive in Dowelltown.
All victims of the fire got out unharmed but were left homeless as the blaze quickly spread through the attic of the building.
“We were called to 207 Circle Drive in Dowelltown to the housing projects due to a fire. It was a cooking fire. Some grease caught on fire. The occupants were unable to put it out and it spread up the back of the stove area to the attic. There was a common attic between four units and the wind spread the fire across the attic. We were able to contain the fire to the attic but there was damage from the fire to all four residential units beneath the attic due to the fire and water. All four units were pretty much totaled,” said County Fire Chief Donny Green.
“Everybody from each unit got out okay. No one was hurt. The management of the housing projects helped locate housing for the displaced residents. The American Red Cross also worked to provide shelter for at least one of them and has worked to provide food and clothing for all the victims of the fire,” added Chief Green.
Members of the Liberty, Main Station, Cookeville Highway, and Belk Stations of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the tanker truck. The Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department was called to provide extra manpower under a mutual aid agreement between the Alexandria and county departments. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and DeKalb EMS were also on the scene.