As another apartment fire leaves many students displaced, the Red Cross is growing short on funds, and the Starkville community is pouring out its support.
Director of the Oktibbeha County Red Cross Becky Wilkes said she was at church when she got the call about the Campus Trails apartment fire, which started around 10 a.m. on Sunday.
“They are thinking the fire started in the area of the attic,” she said. “They haven’t determined the cause yet.”
Wilkes said the fire burned through the night.
James Durham, sophomore anthropology major, lives in building L, about 100 yards from the buildings that caught fire in Campus Trails. Durham said he became aware of the fire around 10 a.m. Sunday when his roommate went out to get breakfast and alerted him.
“I ran outside, and I saw a lot of smoke in the air,” Durham said. “I ran around towards the pool, and we saw building A starting to catch on fire … most of the attic or top part was on fire at that time.”
Wilkes said the Red Cross has worked with 68 students displaced by Sunday’s fire.
“We stayed out there until we had served all of them, because what happened was when the alarm went off kids ran outside and then the firemen wouldn’t let them back in,” Wilkes said. “So if you didn’t grab your wallet, your purse, whatever on your way out, you had nothing.”
The students were given what the Red Cross calls CAT Cards, or client assistance cards, which give the displaced enough money to buy an outfit to wear and an outfit to wash, along with food for 3-5 days.
Student Association executive assistant Willie Brewster said the SA, along with many other organizations, will actively take up donations for the victims of the recent fires that have recently displaced students. He said he encourages students to donate to aid the Bulldog community.
“We are part of the nation’s most charitable state, and we are the People’s University,” he said. “We never slack in helping one another, so I feel we should continue, genuinely, what’s so prominently on our heart as a university.” ?
Brewster said the SA wants to know any way in which they can help out, and he said he knows many students lost everything.
“Donating clothes, shoes or even hygiene items would greatly help each student out,” he said. “E-mail us or call the Center of Student Involvement, and let us know of any way we can possibly help.”
Durham said he encourages students to put themselves in the shoes of the fire victims.
“You’ve got to look at it this way … they have absolutely nothing,” he said. “Everything has been burned.”
Durham said he thinks students should donate to the fire victims because it could have happened to anyone.
“We can’t really think of it because it has never really happened to us, but if you step back and look at it from their perspective, like you have no clothes except what you are wearing, no Internet, computer, tooth brush, toothpaste, bed — anything,” he said. “So I would definitely encourage people to give at least $5 or anything that could help even buy the smallest thing.”
Wilkes said after several fires in the Starkville area this year, the Red Cross needs to replenish their funds.
“We’re at just over $12,000 that we spent,” Wilkes said. “Cause we were on site … we got there about 11 a.m. and didn’t leave till 6 p.m.”
Wilkes said the Red Cross will continue to provide assistance even if they go in the hole and then have to dig themselves out a little at a time.
“Our concern right now is, you know, with school getting out, Starkville becomes a smaller town, you know when half our population leaves,” she said. “We are talking about Pancake Breakfast and stuff like that, but with students gone its not going to be nearly like it is when they are here.”
Wilkes said the Red Cross is trying to build their funds this week before students leave for summer break, and she encourages students to make donations.
“It could have easily been them instead of the other students,” she said.