BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Several families were evacuated after apartments at a Brookhaven complex went up in flames Tuesday morning, according to the Red Cross.
The DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department said a call came in around 2:44 a.m. to The Atlantic Brookhaven on Windmont Drive NE. Fire officials said of the 40 apartments in the building, six apartments were destroyed, and 12 were impacted by smoke and water.
One of the apartments belonged to Luz Pinzon. Nine people, including her husband and children, lived in the apartment with her.
She told 11Alive in Spanish that she initially thought the fire was a prank.
"We noticed the fire and then my husband ran to get water, he initially thought it was some kids playing a prank that had set something on fire. When he came back with the water, he noticed how the top part of the apartment above was completely engulfed in flames. All of it," she said.
For her, the fire was particularly devastating because her family had already begun to prepare for the holidays.
“We are devastated, I won’t lie to you," she said. "This was our home that we had established. Now, we are left practically with nothing since they told us we can’t go back in or touch anything.”
Pinzon also said her family was particularly looking forward to Christmas and had put up the tree three days prior.
There were 73 people displaced following the fire, according to the Red Cross, but DeKalb Fire said no one was injured; pets were also rescued. Fire officials said the fire started on a balcony but are unsure which one or the specific cause of the flames.
Also among the displaced were Silvanny Rios and her mother. They lived in an apartment in another part of the building. While their unit was untouched, Rios said she will not be able to go back for at least a week because the power and water have been shut off during the investigation.
Volunteers with the Red Cross are helping those affected at a temporary shelter.