Fire at Beacham Apartments still under investigation as families seek new places to live

The American Red Cross and Camp Lejeune have partnered to assist the families displaced by Sunday's Beacham Apartments fire.

While victims of the blaze are being lent a hand, firefighters are still unable to determine the cause of the blaze that destroyed 10 units and left the other six damaged by smoke and water.

"There is a danger of the roof collapsing," Jacksonville Fire Marshall John Reed said of the building, which burned for several hours early Sunday morning.

Reed said it will be late today or Thursday before he would be able to determine what caused flames to start in the kitchen of Apartment 671.

An emergency engineer and an insurance investigator were on the scene Tuesday afternoon checking the structural integrity of the building. If the roof structure is too damaged, the investigation may not be complete until demolition of the building, Reed said.

Beacham Apartment tenants living in the 669-684 building on Broadhurst Road were awakened at 3 a.m. Sunday by the complex's maintenance supervisor who warned them to flee their apartments moments ahead of the flames that engulfed the building.

Deputy Jacksonville Fire Chief Mike Koonce said the fire spread so quickly through the building because the apartments share a common attic with no fire blocks between units. Firefighting crews pulled down ceilings in the apartments that were not yet ablaze Sunday morning, saving those apartments from total destruction.

Tenant Holi Bennett returned to her burned-out apartment Monday to find out whether any of her possessions were salvageable, but fire officials barred everyone from the building.

"I was in one of the apartments with the most damage," Bennett told reporters, adding that she was covered by renter's insurance.

Other residents have been staying in housing provided by the Marine Corps while the Red Cross has provided them food, clothes and cash, said Red Cross disaster director Margaret Idol.

"We have also referred them to the Salvation Army for more clothes and things they need," she said.

Deposits were refunded to tenants affected by the fire and any tenants wanting to stay at Beacham will get bumped up to the top of the move-in list, according to Beacham management.

Anyone wishing to help those displaced by the fire is asked to donate to the local Red Cross.

Checks can be mailed to American Red Cross, Onslow County Chapter, 12 Ruth Street, Jacksonville, NC 28540. Donations can also be made at the Web site at onslow.redcross.org.

Contact Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456. Read his blog at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com.