COLUMBIA, S.C. — Char, ash and debris is what some residents at Gleneagle Apartments walked out to Tuesday morning after a fire destroyed eight units at the St. Andrews area apartment complex.
In all, 29 residents -- 16 adults and 13 kids -- were displaced as a result of fire damage on Monday night.
Red Cross responded late Monday night and Tuesday morning with calls, prepaid cards for financial help, counseling, food and other resources.
"The consensus with all the residents that I spoke with was that they lost everything and Red Cross, we're able to offer a little bit of assistance," said Will Price, Red Cross disaster program specialist for Central SC Chapter.
"I made eight calls last night. I spoke with each of the primary residents in each of the units," Price said. "First, check in on them, give them a word of comfort. Some of them were able to get a night's rest. Some of them said they didn't rest at all."
Some neighbors only a few hundred feet away say they witnessed the chaos.
"We heard the screaming and large commotion and then a small boom," neighbor Patrick Westin said. "By the time I got out here, this entire side was engulfed in fire, and it's just insane. You can see where the black smoke was coming out from all over the roof line, and that's how it started."
Westin offered up a spare second bedroom in his apartment as a place to stay if any residents needed it.
"Just so close to Christmas. Some of these condos have lost everything, so it's just, it's one of those things where you never really expect to experience it and when you do, it's hard to describe because it's heartbreaking. It's scary, and it's just devastating," Westin said.
The property management office said they're collecting donations all week for these families who lost their homes and belongings. They need things like food, water, hygiene products, clothing and financial donations.