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Kala Scott, a mother of two, said she believed the cat that died belonged to a courtesy officer who was helping with the fire.

She was showering at the time of the blaze, and believing it to just another occurrence, she went to check for smoke but returned to the shower after not noticing any. What she did not know was that the flames were directly above the apartment where she was living her sons.

She did not hear the firefighters banging at her door, and it was after her neighboring friend called to alert her of the fire that she and her children evacuated.

“We were outside watching the building burn,” Scott said.

Scott relocated from Alabama to Atlanta to give her sons, ages 7 and 9, a better life. By trade, she is a hairstylist and a lash stylist who saved money to furnish her apartment — a feat of which she was proud.
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“It hurts,” she said. “I put my all into that apartment.”

RELATED: $140K+ Raised For ATL Residents Displaced After 3-Alarm Blaze

The family of three was able to safely escape without injuries, but losing everything remains painful for Scott. They only left their apartment with the clothes on their backs.

“I have nothing, absolutely nothing,” she said. “… I know I’m not the only one to go through it, and I know I’m not the first one, but it sucks. It hurts.”

Currently living in a hotel, Scott has been separated from her children since the fire. She said the experience was a first for her family.

While she is grateful they still have their lives, she said she feels broken and empty. She is hoping they can be in a new home by Christmas.

“I’m just here, and I’m happy to be here,” Scott said. “Me and my kids lives were spared, and I’m just grateful for that alone.”

She started a GoFundMe, hoping to raise $15,000 for a new beginning. Money raised will help her secure a new apartment and get furnishing and clothing, Scott said.

As of Friday afternoon, more than $9,000 had been raised.

Keshaun Jones, 34, and his three children are displaced, as well. He has a 13-year-old daughter, a 10-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.

“I’m just trying to keep everything positive,” he said. “My main focus was that the children and I were safe.”

Jones, a 3rd-grade Atlanta charter school teacher and grade-level chair from New Jersey, had been living in the home since around July. They are currently living with a family member and grabbed a few things before evacuating their apartment.

Though he was not at home at the time the fire began, he was on his way home and instructing his oldest daughter on how to stay safe.

The flames seemed small and manageable initially; however, Jones later learned that he would not be returning to his home that night contrary to what he thought.

On a night when they would usually have a family movie night, Jones and his children were standing outside from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. as the blaze consumed their apartment building.

A man who is known for helping others, asking for assistance himself has been tough. He said it has been difficult for him to show vulnerability though, and he has felt helpless.

“It’s still a struggle for me knowing I had to reach out to ask for help,” Jones said.

Not initially knowing anyone in the LaVista Walk neighborhood prior to the fire, he said the tragedy the community faced has united tenants. He has leaned on others, allowing others to lean on him, and has shared resources with other residents such as 23-year-old Alyssa Greene.

The mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey, has offered to help Jones, as well.

“I’m at a loss for words,” he said. “I feel so supported. … It feels like I’m blanketed. I feel covered. It was really very helpful and beneficial, and my family and I are so appreciative of it.”

Jones noted the strength of those living in LaVista Walk and their ability to come together during Friday’s tragedy.

In sharing encouraging words, he tells his fellow neighbors, “Keep pushing. Remember we’re facing the future now. Let’s put our best foot forward, and we got this.”

Jones hopes to raise $25,000 through a GoFundMe. As of Friday afternoon, he had raised at least $7,000. Funds will help with securing a new home, he said.

Greene was living in her apartment with her boyfriend, Elijah Ballew, and their two cats, Pippin and Kramer.

The couple recently graduated from college and was renting their first apartment together. They are now living in an airbnb.

Greene said people did not immediately react to the fire, but when she looked outside and saw flames, she knew it was real.

She works as a science research specialist at a local university. As she rebuilds her own life, she has chosen to lend her efforts toward assisting her neighbors.

“I just think it’s really important for us to not be alone, right now,” she said.

She and her boyfriend grabbed backpacks with a few items before evacuating, but she said they lost the majority of their belongings, including family heirlooms.

Being of aid to others is what is keeping her going, she said. While — material things are just that – material — she said she’s grateful all residents escaped the fire with their lives.

Greene started a GoFundMe, seeking to raise $10,000 to find a new home and replace essential items. As of Friday afternoon, she had raised more than $3,000.

“This should’ve never happened to us,” Greene said. “We should’ve been better protected from this. … We all deserve to have a home again.”

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