A woman is dead after a fire ripped through a Temple Terrace apartment complex. Several other families left homeless over the weekend.
RELATED: Crews find body during search of apartments destroyed in Temple Terrace fire
The medical examiner has identified the victim as 28-year-old Tenecia Brannon. Investigators say she was visiting a friend and didn't make it out.
Altogether 12 apartments were gutted by the flames, meaning The Red Cross has its hands full this Memorial Day.
The fire sparked Sunday morning at N. 56th Street.
“You can see the whole building is burned down," said Joseph Hendrickson while fighting back tears.
His home is now in ashes.
Debra Moreland and other neighbors, including a veteran, were desperately trying to wake those still fast asleep.
“I threw on some clothes on and started yelling at everyone to open their doors to ‘Get out, get out, get out!!” she described.
The flames moving alarmingly quick.
“It was engulfed," she said, "I mean that fast, it was a raging fire.”
The fire not only killing three cats and at least one dog the young 28-year-old Brannon.
“Right now, I’m still shaken about it," said Hendrickson, "I couldn’t sleep at night because it’s so traumatic.”
The Red Cross helped him and 10 other families n
ow left with nightmares and not much else.“We had already been in a fire when I was 14 and all I could think about was the we were going to lose it all again," said Moreland.
Neighbors thankful to those like Moreland who kept knocking until they woke.
“So sorry, I know a fire is devastating. I want to say so sorry to the family, we just couldn’t get in there," she said.
The apartment where the fire started was so charred, the Temple Terrace Fire Chief says they can't yet determine the cause.One tenant who was evacuated set up a GoFundMe page to help herself and her mother after they were left homeless from the fire. Keme Jenkins said that "Red Cross was only able to offer assistance with motel shelter expenses for 3 days," and is hoping that the community will help them rebuild their life. To donate, click here.
