Investigators: Apartment Fire Started With Outdoor Grill

By: Melissa Keeney | News Channel 7
Published: July 20, 2009

**Monday 10:30am Update**

The American Red Cross reports the fire destroyed eight apartments at Heritage Trace Apartments on Charles Town Drive in Piedmont Friday afternoon.

Another seven apartments were affected as well. The Red Cross provided the affected families with a safe place to stay, food, clothing and comfort kits.

Red Cross services for the Heritage Trace Apartment fire could exceed $8,000.

An apartment fire that left 12 upstate families homeless started with an outdoor grill, Anderson investigators ruled late Friday. Firefighters were called out to the Heritage Trace Apartments, just off Highway 153 in Powdersville, just after 1:15. By then most of the damage was done. Resident Sara Poff couldn't believe it. "My first reaction was oh my God," Poff says. "We were driving up and we saw the water flying over, and my husband said, I wonder what building it is. I said you know our luck."

As it turns out, luck was not on their side. The Poff's recently lost their home to the bad economy, and now this. "Watching everything you've worked so hard to build, everything you've scrimped and saved for, memories go up in smoke," Sara says. Anderson County investigator Ken Blakely says he's "certain" an outside grill caused it all. He's ruling the fire as an accident. In all, 16 units were damaged or destroyed. Everyone made it out safely, including Nikki Griffin's dog Rocky. "Once the fire started they knocked on the door but couldn't get it open. They came back and knocked it down and he came running out."

While families sift through the damage, the kindness of strangers is giving those like the Poff's hope. "This woman came up to me," Sara recalls. "I don't know where she lives and don't even know her name. She just came up to me and said you look like you may be my size, and handed me a backpack full of clothes." The Red Cross is also assisting victims with temporary shelter, food and clothing. "This is our third fire in two weeks," says Roger Myers with the Red Cross. The Poff's know they'll be rebuild. "I know we're going to be ok."