September 23, 2000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH100064) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (334) 208-5806/Fax: (334) 208-5813 E-Mail: huffman@ci.mobile.al.us EIGHT APARTMENTS DAMAGED BY FIRE Eight apartments of the Village Green Apartments were damaged in a fire this afternoon, Saturday, September 23, 2000. The call was received at approximately 5:49 p.m. from the 651 Azalea Road address and when firefighters arrived at approximately 5:52 p.m. they reported heavy fire and smoke coming from an upstairs apartment. All the occupants of the building had already evacuated from the two-story, wood frame and brick veneer structure. The fire appears to have originated in the upstairs apartment #50 and extended throughout the apartment and attic above. Apartments 52, 54, and 56 received heat and smoke damage. Apartments 49, 51, 53, and 55 received smoke damage. The fire appears to have originated in the ceiling of the first bedroom of apartment 50. Petrina Kennedy told Mobile Fire Investigators she smelled smoke and went to the kitchen to investigate but found nothing. She then pulled the refrigerator out from the wall and unplugged it. She then went to a neighbor’s apartment to see if they had smelled any smoke but no one appeared to be home. When Kennedy returned to her apartment she discovered fire coming from the front bedroom. Kennedy’s ex-husband Kevin Hale, took a nearby fire extinguisher and attempted to extinguish the fire but was unable to do so. The cause of the fire, that caused an estimated $200 thousand in damage, remains under investigation. No injuries were reported. ###