NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Dozens of families are displaced after a massive apartment fire in Antioch, off Bell Road.
The blaze at Allegro on Bell forced the Nashville Fire Department to bring in multiple units from across the city. The building is a total loss.
The fire started just before 5 a.m. in the 1500 block of Brentridge Drive, according to the Nashville Fire Department's official Twitter page. Building A was deemed a "total loss," said NFD. One person had to be transported for a breathing issue. They said it took about an hour to get the blaze under control.
Crews worked to extinguish hotspots deep within the Brentridge apartment building to fully put out the fire. @NashvilleEOC cadaver K9s have been called to the scene to verify that no person(s) are missing in the collapsed portion of the building. pic.twitter.com/5gTfq8kFR1
— Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) October 29, 2022
Over a dozen survivors tell NewsChannel 5 that no smoke alarms or fire alarms went off to alert them about the blaze. They said neighbors banged on doors to wake them up.
Kasi Hicks lost everything. She remembers her neighbor waking her up, running to the front door with her cat, and the door being completely engulfed.
"My cat went back to the room, and I’m trying to grab him. The ceiling is starting to fall in, and smoke is everywhere. We’ve lost vision," Hicks explained.
Hicks tried to save her five pets. She had a Maine Coon kitten, 2 snakes, and a fish.
“I took one of my snakes and I just threw him through an open door. I hoped he could get out, but I don't know if he did," Hicks said.
"The complex — I couldn’t imagine someone acting worse," Resident Skyler Chuckry said.
Chuckry is disappointed with the apartment complex for not answering the emergency line.
"From 5 o’clock to 8:30 they couldn’t get ahold of anybody. Every phone number we called would just ring at that front desk and the only reason we got into the main office there was because the Red Cross broke in there so we could have a place to stand out of the 40-degree weather," Chuckry said.
Fire officials said all residents are accounted for, but Hicks thinks many pets perished in the blaze.
"My animals can’t be replaced; they’re family," Hicks said.
Right now, residents have lots of questions, but they think things could’ve been worse.
"I’m dreading the process going forward, but I’m thankful I’m alive," Resident Taylor Caudillo said.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to the owners of the property “Birge & Held” about the issues with the smoke detectors and with other complaints from residents.
Their responses are given below:
What is next for the residents after the fire? What is the company doing for residents?
"The health and safety of our residents will always be our priority. We are cooperating fully with the fire department and doing everything possible to make sure those displaced have a safe place to return.
The Birge & Held team is working with the American Red Cross to obtain hotel rooms for residents over the next few nights. At the same time, we are securing apartments for the displaced residents either at Allegro on Bell or, down the street, at our Lyric on Bell apartment community."
We heard from several residents that smoke detectors were not working at the time of the fire. Can you speak to that?
"By way of background, Birge & Held purchased Allegro on Bell in July 2022. As part of the sale’s due diligence, we received a copy of the annual fire inspection report conducted on April 7, 2022. At the time of the fire, there were no open violations, open service requests related to smoke detectors or known issues. The smoke detectors in the affected building are currently triggered and audible.
Additionally, Birge & Held team members went into vacant apartments, once getting the all-clear from the fire department, to test smoke detectors. All of the detectors that were tested in the vacant units worked properly.
Our team will continue to cooperate and work closely with the fire department and local authorities.
Also, In the event of an emergency, like the incident today, we would always encourage our residents to contact emergency services by calling 911. Our after-hours, emergency maintenance line can be reached by selecting a prompt upon calling our Community office and we have verified this line is working."
The American Red Cross is helping those displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
