Children playing with matches or a lighter Friday afternoon apparently set a bed on fire that spread and heavily damaged a three-story apartment building in Holts Summit.
According to reports from the Holts Summit Fire Protection District, the fire at the Evergreen Condos, just off of Route AA, was called in after 1 p.m. No injuries were reported, and two pets were rescued.
Witnesses said the fire started in a corner apartment on one of the upper floors.
"I smelled something burning, and went outside and saw smoke," said Sarah Miller, who had been living in one of the apartments since April. "I yelled out and got the lady's attention, and she got the kids out. The fire then spread from there."
Authorities and neighbors went to other apartments to get people out. In some cases, they kicked in doors.
Smoke and flames could be seen for several miles as strong winds fanned the fire.
"The third floor had heavy fire damage and the lower floors had lots of smoke and water damage," said Scott Pasley, Holts Summit Fire Protection District public information officer.
Of the 29 units in the building, 26 were occupied.
Ronald Bealmear was working at his job at Doolittle Utility Trailer Manufacturing, which is next to the apartments.
"I lost just about everything I own," he said through tears. "I just got back on my feet and had a good job, and now this happens."
Bealmear said he was able to get out with some money and his car, but everything else was probably lost.
"I feel helpless because I can't do anything," he said as he watched the firefighters battle the blaze. "I've been trying to get back on my feet, and I take two steps and then this sends me five steps back."
His story sounds similar to that of Tiffany Evans and her boyfriend Beau Cerezo.
The couple had been living in Evergreen Apartments for three weeks when their building caught fire Friday. The couple was homeless for months and finally could afford a place to live.
They paid two months rent up front and purchased new clothes and a DVD player. This was all after coming from nearly nothing. The fire devastated the couple, and they assumed they lost everything.
"We literally started from scratch," Evans said. "Here we go again."
Before the fire began, Evans walked to a friend's place in the neighboring building to ask for a ride. She smelled smoke as she hopped into her friend's van, and yelled, "Let me out!"
Evans rushed into her building to wake up Cerezo, who was sleeping after an overnight shift. He woke up to her screams.
"It's on fire! Get out!" she said she had yelled.
Cerezo said he woke up to smoke and threw on a shirt, socks and shoes. While he was getting dressed, Evans ran into the neighboring apartment, grabbed a 3-year-old girl and went back into her own apartment to find a blanket to cover the girl.
Around 3 p.m. Friday, they looked up as firefighters broke the window to their apartment.
The Red Cross arrived on the scene and later did evaluations of those who were affected by the fire. Officials said they would work to find out who needed a place to stay and what other day-to-day needs they would require.
David Griffith, executive director of the American Red Cross Heart of Missouri chapter was on the scene and said the Red Cross will provide renters' assistance for those who will need a new place to live. He added that the organization's partnership with the United Way will benefit victims as the two entities can refer clients to other places for additional assistance.
Samantha Smith and her boyfriend Evan Hale, both 20, were driving home from Jefferson City when they saw smoke. At first, Smith believed Doolittle Trailers Manufacturing Inc. was the building on fire, but the couple realized that wasn't the case as they came closer to the apartment complex.
"I was like, "babe, that's not Doolittle. That's our house,'" Smith said.
They attempted to save their cat, trapped inside Apartment 17, but were unsuccessful. As sprinkles of water from fire hoses hit their faces, Smith and Hale wondered if their pet survived.
Police blocked off state Route AA, the road which leads to Evergreen Apartments. Theresa Hodge parked her car on the side of the outer road and ran toward Evergreen Apartments, searching for her 12-year-old daughter.
Hodge's son had called her while she was on her break at her job in Jefferson City and informed her a building in the apartment complex caught fire. Though Hodge and her children don't live in the building that ignited, she feared blustery winds would somehow spread the fire to their home.
She ran to her daughter Chyann, hugged her and they both cried. The mother said seeing her daughter was a relief.
"It was like, I never wanted to let her go," Hodge said.