SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Families are picking up any pieces they can as they try to recover days after a North Highlands apartment fire.
Sacramento County agencies and organizations stepped in to help the victims. On Sunday, Sacramento County partnered with the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other groups to help displaced residents get back on their feet.
Matt Robinson, a public information officer for Sacramento County, emphasized the severity of the situation.
“A lot of the folks were able to just get out with the clothes on their backs. They have to get new clothes, they have to get new IDs and all that information went up in the fire,” Robinson said.
The blaze left dozens of residents displaced, causing immense emotional loss. Katelyn Clark was among the 10-15 families getting help.
“I have had a lot of help from these guys,” she said, expressing gratitude for the support.
Clark, her boyfriend and their three-year-old son were among the residents who woke up to a suffocating, life-threatening situation early Wednesday morning. The fire rapidly consumed their apartment, forcing them to flee.
“It is that hot. It’s so hot, and all you can think about is getting out and being able to breathe again,” Clark said, recalling the harrowing moments when the smoke filled her apartment.
Despite trying to stay low to the floor to avoid inhaling the thick smoke, she said the heat and smoke were overwhelming.
“No matter how low to the floor we got, you could still feel the heat, you could still breathe in the smoke. It would not stop from any direction,” she added. “The idea that you have to jump off a seven-foot ledge is hard.”
In a matter of minutes, Clark, her family and 15 other families lost their homes, belongings and even their pets. Clark’s dog, Tyson, was unable to escape and died in the fire.
The fire sent Clark to the hospital, but the physical wounds are only part of the story. The emotional scars are profound, especially as she tries to explain the tragedy to her young son.
“My son keeps asking, ‘Mommy, I want to go home. Mommy, I want to go see Tyson,’” she said. “It is hard trying to get him to understand that. It is hard.”
But despite the immense loss, Clark remains thankful.
“I am just thankful that we are alive. I am thankful that we got out. It could have been so much worse,” she said. “What keeps me going is that my son is alive. He is not hurt.”
Clark says the community has come together in various ways, with friends, family, and even online community offering aid to help Clark to start anew. The Clark family also has a GoFundMe available here.
For those affected by the fire who missed the county’s support event, Sacramento County encourages them to call 211 for assistance.
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