COVINGTON, La. — Three more Northshore families lost their homes this week after one of the Maple Ridge Apartment buildings caught fire.
The apartment complex on Highway 36 near Covington has four units, with three families living there. People were home when the fire started around 7 p.m. Monday.
Covington Fire Department and several other nearby departments put the fire out in less than an hour.
One woman was hurt jumping out of a window to save her life. The extent of her injuries are unknown, but she was taken to a hospital.
The Covington Fire Department believes the fire started from a lamp in the living room of a first floor apartment. That apartment was Jada Callahan's who lived there with her grandmother and younger brother.
"I think we have to start all over," she said.
She was not home at the time, but her uncle was.
"We got there and I'm like man all of our stuff is just gone," Callahan said.
She lost everything.
"Thankfully his book bag, he had it with him," she referenced her brother who is in fifth grade. "But his school clothes and his shoes are gone. I was like man we only have what we're wearing now."
For now, Callahan is staying at a hotel with her mom's friend.
"I was like, thank you, because I don't know where we would go," she said.
Her mom's friend was already staying at the hotel because they also lost their apartment this week. Sunday, 18 families lost their homes when the Cypress Lake Apartments near Mandeville caught fire.
"I was like man the same thing happened to them the day before and now it's happened to me," Callahan said. "This is a shocker."
Like the other families, Callahan is starting from scratch.
"I'm trying to make enough money to help with everything," she said.
Friends are already collecting donations like clothes and necessities to help rebuild her life.
"We need all the help we can get," Callahan said.
Her friend, Casey Ann Champagne, is collecting donations for Callahan and her brother.
"I am asking for any kind of donations for them. Clothes, shoes, book bags, uniforms, pet care supplies, beds, towels, old tablet, bikes, laptop or TV or bed, etc," Champagne posted on Facebook.
Fire crews are still investigating what caused the Sunday fire in Mandeville, but they said the two fires are not related.
A Facebook group called 'Cypress Lake Apartments Fire Relief' is collecting donations for those victims and now they're trying to help the Maple Ridge families too.
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