12 adults, 17 children displaced from apartment fire pleading for help
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Help is running out for families left homeless by a devastating apartment fire in Chesterfield. It happened on Dec. 6 at the Rollingwood Apartments; nearly 30 people lost their homes.
Twelve adults and 17 children lost everything after the building caught on fire.
“We were just thrown out, we didn’t have anywhere to go,” said one tenant.
The fire started at the Rollingwood Apartments in North Chesterfield earlier this month. One man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, one child was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Now, the former occupants say they are left with nothing, and some are on their last leg.
“I have funds for a day in the hotel but after that, I’m not sure where I’m gonna go,” said Dajavonne Holmes.
Holmes has three children and says she needed to be out of her hotel at noon. She says her family was initially helped by the Red Cross, but that assistance has now run out. Now, they’re looking to hear from the apartment complex.
“Excuses, not answering the phone, not giving us any information,” Holmes said.
NBC12 crews were kicked off the property and called the complex multiple times, leaving behind a phone number and email. We are waiting to hear back.
“After this fire, it’s just like they’re abandoning us. They gave us nowhere to go right here at Christmas,” said Christie Johnson.
Chesterfield Fire Department says the cause of the fire is improperly discarded smoking materials. Chesterfield Fire says there were smoke detectors were there, but no one heard them working.
If you would like to help these families, you’re asked to call 804-399-1111.
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