October 29, 2002
Albany-- The Thomas family is staying with relatives tonight. Everything inside their half of the Westwood Drive duplex was badly damaged by smoke. Firefighters say the tenant in the other half, where the fire started, was being evicted, and neighbors say he was not living there anymore.
Forrest Thomas says, "Yeah, I'm glad its not my side. It looks like the whole inside is gutted." Thomas is surveying the damage to his duplex, which is not as severe as the uninhabited half where the fire started.
Thomas says, "Far as everything in their, it's smoked up, the clothes, the furniture. Nothing has flame damage but everything has to be replaced, I'm sure."
The Thomas family's half of the duplex sustained smoke damage, the other half was badly burned. Firefighters say the fire started in the kitchen, but they are not sure exactly how it happen.
Mr. Thomas says the tenant was moving out, "The tenant next door was suppose to be moving out, the power was off, I just don't know what happened."
For now, the Thomas family will stay with relatives until they can move back in, although they wonder if they will have to find someplace else to live.
The fire is still under investigation.
Posted at 4:25 p.m. by melissa.kill@walb.com
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