Copyright AL.com
Family and friends of residents and business owners impacted by the fire that consumed a block in Birmingham’s Southside Friday are fundraising to help get them back on their feet. So far, they’ve raised more than $36,000 for at least nine people impacted by the fires, as of 11 a.m. on Sunday, according to GoFundMe. More donations have been pouring in, as residents who lost their apartments seek to find a new place to live and replace nearly everything besides the clothes they were wearing when they evacuated. The fire erupted early Friday morning at a vacant building and spread to three other buildings near the 1300 block of 20th Street South. No injuries have been reported. But now, 19 people have been displaced from their homes, many without any of their belongings. A Red Cross team is supporting the residents, many of whom are college-aged single individuals. Savanah Hrbek, along with four others who sublet salon spaces near Cobb Lane, lost her salon business, Blush, in the fire, her stepfather Steve Wingo said in a GoFundMe post. And Jessica, a resident of one of the apartments, lost everything but the clothes on her back and her dog, her friend Alex Woodcock said in another GoFundMe post. Here is a list of GoFundMes organized to help support the residents: Support Savanah and Co-Tenants After Fire Help Emily and Lawrence After Fire Support Dev, Molloy, and Brick After Fire Help Jessica Rebuild After Devastating Fire Help Rebuild Life After Apartment Fire Support Olivia and Jason After Fire Loss Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Battalion Chief Clay Hendon said Sunday that the main building impacted by the fire is a “total loss,” and it’s likely that the other three buildings that the fire spread to will have the same result from the damage. “That will ultimately be determined after an inspection by building inspectors structural engineers,” Hendon said in a Facebook post. The fire and rescue crews stopped fire watch at the site Saturday night. Power has been restored to the area, except for the four buildings that caught fire, he added.
