27 people displaced after pre-Christmas fire in Smyrna

An apartment fire early Friday afternoon in Smyrna has displaced a reported 27 people just two days before Christmas.

There were no injuries as a result of the fire that destroyed one building at the located at 1803 Davie Circle. It required as many as 30 firefighters to contain as they battled heavy smoke and flames.

“Right now the cause of the fire is still under investigation,’’ Cobb Fire Battalion Chief Mike Ellington told Patch at the scene. “We’re looking at the possibility of a cooking fire, but we don’t know that for sure.’’

According to the Cobb County fire department, the blaze started in a ground-floor apartment and seven of the eight apartments that were damaged had been occupied.

Two women, 67-year-old Louise Mitchell and her sister, 62-year-old Patricia Phillips, were taken to hospitals to be checked out.

“We have 11 adults and 16 minors displaced,’’ Ellington said. “The Red Cross in en route to figure out temporary housing.’’

Several of those who escaped the fire were family members of Smyrna’s Rita Bedford, who does not live at the apartment complex. She estimated that maybe as many as 10 people, including aunts and cousins, were in the downstairs apartments that were destroyed.

“It’s completely demolished at this point; there’s nothing to save,’’ said Bedford, who explained that she and many other family members had planed to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the complex celebrating.

“Everyone was here; this is where we were to gather for Christmas,’’ she said.

It was reported that as many as five families were to be relocated to vacant units with the Regency Square complex.

The nearby Mount Zion First Baptist Church at 2642 Hawthorne Avenue will be accepting donations for those who were displaced on Friday.

 “They need gifts, money, and not just Christmas, it’s whatever kids need for everyday life,’’ Bedford said.

The church’s phone number is 770-432-4887.