By Julianna Parker
July 19, 2008 12:03 am
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By Julianna Parker
Transcript Staff Writer
NOBLE — A spark from an electrical arc in the breaker box was the cause of the apartment complex fire that displaced nearly two dozen residents earlier this month, an agent with the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s office said Friday.
The fire at Parkside Apartments, 901 E. Maguire Road, destroyed eight apartments July 6.
The fire originated in the breaker box at apartment 37. A breaker box is designed to keep any such sparks contained, but the door of the breaker box was left open, agent Mark Martin said. A spark or flames shot out and ignited clothing and a bed below the box, he said. Then the fire traveled out the window, along the gables and roof.
No one was hurt in the fire. Noble Fire Chief Gary Bonner estimated about $400,000 in damages for the apartment complex.
The Noble Fire Department responded to the fire at about 7:40 a.m. that Sunday, calling in Purcell, Slaughterville and Norman Fire Departments for mutual aid, Bonner said.
The fire was contained by 10:45 or 11 a.m., he said.
Tamera Long called 911 that morning. She moved into apartment 35 with her three children in December. Fortunately, her children were visiting their grandmother that morning.
She said she was asleep when her neighbor from apartment 37 pounded on her door and told her the apartment was on fire.
Long said she thought the neighbor was exaggerating, so went to see the fire for herself. The flames were already chest high in the bedroom.
So she called 911 as her neighbor banged on every other door to get everyone outside. Then apartment residents gathered on the ground as they watched the fire burn.
“I was devastated,” Long said. “I mean, I have three children, I’m a single mom.”
She said she was in shock for three days. Long’s apartment didn’t catch fire, but water and smoke destroyed everything.
“I had no insurance at all — nobody did,” Long said. “But I will here as of today on my new apartment.”
The Red Cross helped the displaced residents from the eight apartments that were destroyed. Long said the Red Cross put her up in a hotel for three days, and then got her and her children beds, basic living room furniture and kitchen supplies.
But the Red Cross couldn’t help her replace everything that was lost.
“They didn’t have enough for everybody,” Long said.
The fire displaced about 20-23 residents, all who lived in the east building of the complex, said Shelly Seward, a former tenant who helps monitor and maintain the apartments.
“So everyone who lived in that whole building, they lost their homes and everything,” she said.
All but one of the tenants have found new homes, she said.
“I think we got everybody in homes now, so now we’re trying to get them furniture.”
In addition to helping procure furniture, the Red Cross also helped the residents find new places to live, paying the security deposit on the new locations as well as the first month’s rent, Seward said. Red Cross officials arrived at the scene almost immediately to help.
“They brought out food and drinks for everybody as we watched it burn down,” Seward said.
Long and her children now live in Charleston Apartments in Norman, which is closer to her job. She’s trying to keep a positive attitude about it.
“Everything happened for a reason. I guess I just wasn’t meant to live there.”
Julianna Parker366-3541jparker@normantranscript.com
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