Two firefighters, two civilians treated, but all are expected to recover. Fire destroyed a building Tuesday afternoon at the Winding River Village apartments in Sandy Springs.
Two firefighters were taken to North Fulton Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation but were expected to recover. Two civilians also were taken to the hospital with the same condition and also are expected to be OK, according to Lt. Steve Rose with the Sandy Springs police.
The fire began about 12:30 p.m., said Sandy Spring fire Marshal Jeff Scarbrough. Firefighters arrived to find a mother and three small children in the parking lot. They had been in the apartment unit that caught fire, he said.
Crews went to the first and closest fire hydrant, which did not have water, Scarbrough said.
Scarbrough said the lack of water slowed their efforts, but crews already were hooking up hoses to other hydrants nearby.
“We’re looking into what the issue was with the hydrant,” Scarbrough said.
The fire moved into the attic within 10 minutes, causing part of the roof to collapse, Scarbrough said. Crews then had to stop and come out of the building to account for each of the firefighters before they could begin working again, Scarbrough said.
The fire broke out in Building 295 at the complex, located near River North Parkway and Roswell Road, just south of the Chattahoochee River.
“This lady came and banged on the door and told me that the building was on fire and to get out of here,” said Gail Burns, who lived on the top floor apartment with her daughter and grandchildren.
The woman who knocked on Burns’ door passed out once they got outside, she said.
“The ambulance came and got her,” Burns said.
The thick smoke could be seen from Roswell Road, said Yamesha Carr, who drove over to the complex to see if her friends were safe.
“As we pulled up in front of the building, the far right side was pouring out thick, black smoke,” she said. “Before you knew it, the whole building was engulfed in flames. And the next thing you knew, the front of the building just fell and collapsed.”
Cheryl Tubbs, a resident of the burned building, said she had just started a new job two weeks ago after being out of work for two years. Tubbs said she lost everything in the fire.
“All we have left is the clothes we have on,” she said.
Photographer Curtis Compton contributed to this article.
Copyright 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
April 20, 2011
