Families still figuring out next steps after Saturday’s Montlimar Apartment fire

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Families and tenants who have been displaced after a massive apartment fire are still trying to figure out their next steps. Even though no people were injured in the house fire, a tenant told WKRG News 5 that their two pet cats are dead.

16 units were destroyed in the Saturday night fire at the Montlimar Apartments on Azalea Road—including Bre Peoples’s, who’s a mother of three.

“We just came home, and was in the room just watching as a movie and all of a sudden, like somebody was banging on my door like, ‘Hey it’s a fire!’,” Peoples recounted from Saturday night. “We just panicked and got out as quickly as we could.”

Kenard Knight said he was home with his sister during the fire. Fortunately, he and his sister were able to make it out safely, but they couldn’t save their two pets.

“You know, I didn’t want them to die, but they didn’t suffer,” Knight said. “They died from the smoke. When we found them, they still had their fur.”

48 hours later after the large fire, Knight returned back to the apartment hoping that he could save some of his father’s belongings.

“It turns out that my mom and my cousin, they came out here and they got the shoe box,” he continued to explain. “They came out here, and they got the shoe box.”

Fire crews were still investigating on scene Monday morning, and residents at the complex received donations like air mattresses, food, and water to help them get by.

Alex Kirkland said he is thankful for the donations but is bummed to learn that his renters insurance doesn’t cover his damaged belongings.

“I think that’s ludicrous,” Kirkland emphasized. “So now that I’m in a different headspace, I’ve been a little emotional today. You know, this is the first time I’ve ever dealt with something like this. And everybody has been reaching out. The outpouring of love has been amazing. But at the end of the day, somebody has to be held accountable.”

Ultimately, Peoples, Knight, and Kirkland are all remaining strong as they navigate through this setback. Now, they’re working hard to find a new place to call home.

“I provide for myself and this just goes to show that in any situation, in a blink of an eye, it can be gone,” Kirkland continued. “And so I keep God at the head of my life, and he’s already promised that he’ll take care of me, and so I’m not concerned.”

If you would like to help, below, you can find the GoFundMe’s and a Cash App for all three.

• Kenard Knight’s GoFundMe.
• Alex Kirkland’s GoFundMe.
• Bre People’s Cash App: $BrePeoples1