MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A fire in Peppertree apartments damaged multiple vacant units on Sunday in Whitehaven.
According to Memphis Fire Department, just before 2:00 p.m., they responded to a “second-alarm fire”, which is now under control.
A firefighter was taken to the hospital due to heat exhaustion but is currently in stable condition.
MFD says fire investigators came to the apartment complex to investigate how the fire started.
“We do have multiple parts of origin that fire may have stated so we’re gonna get investigators on the scene to try to determine what was the cause,” said Qwanensha Ward, a MFD spokesperson.
Residents at Peppertree are in the process of being relocated after the Department of Housing and Urban Development declined to renew its contract, which pulled funding due to several issues over the years.
“It seems like it ain’t never go get better,” an unnamed resident said. “I been waiting to move. I been waiting to move for a month in a half, I been waiting on MHA to get me an inspection date. It seems like everybody is taking they slow time with this.”
As the investigation of what caused the fire unfolds, residents have found themselves in a familiar position of wanting better living conditions after yet another issue at Peppertree Apartments.
“It was just uncalled for cause who’s to say somebody could have got hurt, or anything,” the unnamed resident said. “They not thinking about the people that live here. I still gotta come here every single night and look at this.”
At this time, Memphis Fire has not said the cause of the fire and WREG has yet to hear back from Peppertree Management for comment after we reached out to them earlier.