Nine people died from smoke inhalation during a fire at Academy Crossing Apartments in Starkville Dec. 28.
Starkville Fire Marshal Rodger Mann said fire officials are still putting the pieces together to determine the cause of the fire.
“All we have is an area or origin identified in the living room,” Mann said.
Victims of the fire were up until 2:30 a.m. Mann said according to Facebook records and the department has concluded the fire started sometime between then and 4 a.m. The Starkville Fire Department received a call reporting the fire at 4:36 a.m.
According to Oktibbeha Country Red Cross director Becky Wilkes, last month’s fire had the most fatalities for a residential fire in Mississippi history.
Mann said three adults and six children were killed in the fire. The victims were India Williams, 25, and her children, Jacorian Vasser, 6, Richard Vasser, 5, and Kamarion Williams, 2. Castella Bell, 18, and her children, Tanayia Bell, 4, Jayvion Bell, 3, and Sumaya Bell, 6 months, and Lakesha Gillespie, 20.
Wilkes said the fire not only left nine fatalities, but also several people homeless.
“Only three apartments in the complex were occupied,” Wilkes said. “There were two other families displaced by the fire.”
The fire was a terrible tragedy, Wilkes said, but she has been impressed with the community’s response.
“It’s really has been great to see how much the community cares about its people,” Wilkes said.
Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman said the support from the community has been great.
“It was very encouraging that in a very tragic situation this community rallied to support the families of the victims and those displaced by the fire,” Wiseman said.
Wiseman said the best way to donate money for the victims of the fire is through the Red Cross fund.
Wilkes said the Red Cross provides immediate disaster relief like food, shelter and clothing as well as assistance with funeral costs.
“The mayor asked us to be the clearing house for donations,” Wilkes said. “We are going to sit down with the funeral director and pay the funeral expenses for the three families.”