Raging apartment blaze forces dozens from their beds as crews battle low water pressure

Flames shot into the dark night sky early Friday as at least two dozen people fled a major blaze at The Cliffs apartments.

Ronjalyn Bond said she noticed the glow of the fire out her window as she got up to use the bathroom before 3 a.m.

“The blaze was really going,” Bond said. “We really just didn’t have time to think, just to react and get out.”

Bond rushed to the neighboring apartment to alert her sister and their 85-year-old invalid mother, who got out safely and sought refuge in the leasing office where she sat in her wheelchair.

Marcus Davis said he was sleeping soundly as the building at 1895 Clinton Road went up in flames.

“My old lady woke me up saying the building was on fire,” Davis said. “I just jumped out and ran out of the building, so I don’t know what really happened. I was knocked out asleep.”

Macon-Bibb County firefighters were called to the complex at about 3:30 a.m. and found the fire shooting through the roof of a 20-unit building.

Fire Chief Marvin Riggins said low water pressure in the area hindered firefighters’ efforts to knock down the flames.

“We know we have some small mains and water pressure problems in this area,” Riggins said.

Crews ran hoses up the hill from Gray Highway and through the fence. They also stretched hoses all the way up Clinton Road to the complex that sits atop a hill in northeast Macon.

“The terrain of this, it’s sort of hilly and therefore made it more difficult for us,” Riggins said.

The building has three floors with the bottom level built into the side of the hill and only visible from the Gray Highway side.

Fire investigator Sgt. Steve Wesson said the fire began outside on the second floor balcony on the back side of the building, ran up the wall, into the attic and spread across the roof.

“Without a question, the fire started on the shared patio of units 208 and 209,” Wesson said.

The exact cause of the fire has not been determined, but he does not believe it was deliberately set.

District Chief Tim Johnson said this is the third fire he’s fought in this same building over the past five years.

“It had quite a head start on us when we first got here,” Johnson said. “There were multiple areas under the roof we couldn’t get to.”

The parking lot was full of cars which also made it difficult for fire trucks to maneuver, he said.

No one was hurt in the blaze. All but one of the units in the 20-unit building were occupied.

“I just thank God that everyone in my building and in the next building were able to get out safely,” Bond said. “I think nobody has renter’s insurance but me.”

Residents stood in their night clothes as crews continued to pour water from aerial ladders on stubborn hot spots at the two-alarm fire.

The American Red Cross will be helping the victims, Riggins said.

Although the fire damage appears to be contained to the upper units, there will be heavy water damage throughout the building.

Davis said he had just bought some new items for his apartment.

“Really bad damage, really bad,” he said. “All of it destroyed. It’s a shame.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2018 at 6:46 AM.