July 4, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
Several families were left homeless after a fire swept through and destroyed much of Towne’s Edge Village Apartments on Kendra Drive in Smithville Sunday.
All the residents there at the time were safely evacuated. One source said the fire might have started from a grill but authorities have not determined the cause. It remains under investigation.
The 20 unit apartment complex consists of buildings housing 10 units on either side of the parking lot. The fire started in one of the units and spread to others adjoining it destroying eight dwellings and heavily damaging two others. Families lost most or all belongings in the fire. Although they are still livable, several units on the other side of the parking lot received damage from the intense heat which melted siding on the exterior of the building.
Wendy Jenkins and her family lost their home and belongings in the fire. Jenkins told WJLE that she and her husband Cody, a Smithville Police Officer, and their son were home when she smelled smoke and heard a neighbor’s smoke alarm.
“We had just returned from the lake and were trying to change and get ready to go onto other festivities when we started to smell smoke. I was able to hear my neighbors smoke alarm, the constant beeping. Cody ran outside and came back in. He said get out now. He grabbed his portable radio, because he works for Smithville City Police, and was able to alert central dispatch. Residents were calling as well. When we got out all we saw was smoke rolling out of the top. Within minutes it got so hot and flames starting coming out from everywhere,” said Jenkins.
Sandy Hughes, a representative of the American Red Cross Murfreesboro Chapter, later arrived to render assistance to the families “We have 10 families who have been displaced from the apartments and we are working to do case work for them to give them assistance and community resources”.
The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department was on the scene along with the Smithville Police Department and DeKalb EMS.