Memorial Day fire leaves 27 homeless, Red Cross stresses need for help

Yahoo

27-05-2025

Damage assessments and cleanup with start Tuesday morning at a Dunwoody apartment complex.
A fire burned down eight units at Parkwood Village Apartments on Winters Chapel Road, according to DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department.
The fire started around 1:00 pm on Monday. Neighbors said more families were home than usual because of the Memorial Day holiday.
'It was coming out of the porch, the windows, and then you see the roof caving in a little bit,' Brandon Flores told Channel 2's Courtney Francisco.
No one was hurt, but American Red Cross volunteers said most people had seconds to escape.
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'That's exactly what happened. They run out with the clothes they have on,' volunteer Bernie Wasserman said.
22 adults and five children lost their homes, according to DeKalb County Fire Rescue.
'Those apartments are not livable. They're destroyed,' said Wasserman.
The volunteers gave families gift cards to help with hotels, food, and clothing. They also connected them to long-term recovery resources.
'They basically go into shock when we're talking to them,' said Wasserman. 'You're giving them instructions, but they're looking right through you.'
He and Cindy Sedran have a combined 70 years of experience guiding families through it.
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However, this job, on Memorial Day, nearly brought them to tears. They said they're in desperate need of volunteers this summer due to the uptick in natural disasters and fires.
They said they're proud of what they've been able to accomplish with a small team, but hope they can inspire others to join them this time.
'Especially on Memorial Day when we're out there thanking everybody for saving us, for doing what they did, and giving up their lives for us,' said Sedran. 'This is just what I needed to do, and these people, they're so grateful. They're so humble.'
They're also anxious to find out what caused this fire so they can prevent it from happening again. DeKalb County Fire Rescue has not confirmed a cause at this time.
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