ATHENS, Ohio — More than half of the 30 Athens residents displaced by an apartment building fire last weekend are relying on emergency shelter.
The fire occurred at Beasley Mill Apartments, 93 W. Union St., on Saturday, Feb. 17, around 12:45 p.m., according to the Athens Fire Department incident report obtained by the Independent. No injuries or deaths were reported and the building was largely undamaged. The fire seemed to originate from an outlet on the fourth floor.
Athens Fire Department Chief Robert Rymer said in an email, “it is suspected to be electrical in nature, in the living room area. … The building owner may have an insurance investigator perform a more thorough cause and origin investigation.”
In a statement, the American Red Cross said that all but one of the building’s 31 units were occupied at the time of the fire. Twelve of the building’s residents found shelter with family or friends.
The Red Cross provided emergency shelter for 18 people at the Athens Community Center over the weekend; those 18 are now staying at a hotel in Athens, American Red Cross Central & Southern Ohio Regional Communications Director Marita Salkowski said in an email.
“In general situations, we work with property managers, the municipality, and community partners to help residents on their path to a more permanent housing situation,” Salkowski stated.
At Monday’s Athens City Council meeting, Athens Service Safety Director Andy Stone described the fire as “a significant displacement of persons.”
“The ability to work with the management company was somewhat limited over the weekend, so we decided to execute our emergency action plan and we set up the Athens Community Center as a shelter,” Stone said. “It is not the ideal location for that use, but it is an emergency shelter in times that we need to do that.”
Displaced residents and their pets (“dogs, cats, hamsters, and I believe some turtles”) stayed in rooms A, B and C at the community center, Stone said. City administration, the Athens Fire Department and the city’s Arts, Parks & Recreation department worked together, he said.
“This is just an example of how this particular community deals with disasters pretty well,” Stone said. “But we need to get them in more permanent housing.”
The city did not provide any financial support to the displaced residents, Stone said in an email. However, he said, the city has notified the company that manages the apartment building, Fairfield Homes out of Lancaster, that they must provide alternative housing for the displaced residents.
“That is both due to Athens City Housing Code and Ohio landlord-tenant law,” Stone stated. “The city’s role in this was to extinguish the fire and work with the [American Red Cross] for the immediate needs of the displaced persons (and their pets). That is complete.”
In a press release, Katie Uhl, executive director of the South Central Ohio Chapter of the American Red Cross, praised the city’s response. The release also acknowledged the Bob Evans restaurant in Athens for providing a meal for those affected and the county dog warden and the Athens County Humane Society for providing crates and food for the residents’ pets.
American Red Cross volunteer caseworkers have begun working with each of the 30 residents to provide them with disaster recovery assistance, the organization told the Independent. That includes health services such as providing medications, eyeglasses and medical equipment lost to the fire.
“Needs following disasters can vary from individual to individual,” Salkowski said in an email. “Our case workers help those impacted by disaster navigate the various community/agency resources that are available to them.”
Beasley Mills Apartments landlord and building owner Fairfield Homes, based in Lancaster, did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. The Independent was unable to reach any individuals displaced by the fire in time for publication.
