‘I just want to have a home again’: Fire displaces dozens who rebuilt their lives after homelessness
By Chantelle Navarro
Click here for updates on this story
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Heartbreaking stories came from the ashes of a northwest Oklahoma City apartment complex after a Sunday afternoon fire left dozens of residents who moved there from the streets without homes.
Firefighters are working to learn how the fire started, but investigators said the flames erupted from the second floor. People living at the Meadows Apartments said it only took about 15 minutes for the flames to make their way through.
Lisa Moistner walked around the debris left by the fire.
“This is Noir. He was at the same camp as me. He works all the time,” Moistner said. “He wasn’t even here during the fire because he works all the time. As crazy as that sounds, homeless people have jobs.”
They are two of about 50 people who were once homeless before moving into the apartment complex thanks to Oklahoma City’s Key to Home partnership. The partnership between the city and nonprofits helps place unhoused people in homes.
That all changed on Sunday when a fire started on the second floor. It quickly made its way through the attic.
Moistner said she was half asleep when she heard her neighbor banging on the door.
“She was screaming at me, ‘Lisa, get out of your apartment! It’s on fire. Everything’s on fire!'” Moistner said.
Some witnesses told investigators that they saw someone set the fire, but it’s still under investigation. So far, no one has been charged.
Moistner reflected on her journey from homelessness to finding a home at the Meadows Apartments.
“I was out on the streets for 10 years because a car accident. I had to come work. I never thought I was going to get to get another home again,” she said. “It was a home for me, and now you’re cleaning up the yard every day. This is my home, our neighbors. We’ve all grown to like each other. We all have become good friends. It’s like a big family out here.”
The Homeless Alliance, one of the groups involved in the Key to Home partnership, is now working to help the displaced residents rebuild their lives.
“I’m always blown away by the resiliency of the folks who utilize our services,” Meghan Mueller of the Homeless Alliance said. “And so hopefully this is one of those cases where we’ll see that resiliency on display.”
Moistner also highlighted the reality she and other members of the community face.
“Half of the city is one paycheck away from me in the same position that I was in. I know that for a fact. The economy is not that great. There’s nothing wrong with any of these people. They’re not thieves,” she said.
But for Moistner, it’s not clear what happens next.
“I guess it’s either going to be a hotel or a tent. I just want to get my life back together. I’m tired of being on the streets,” she said.
The fire not only destroyed the residents’ homes but also took away everything that made them feel at home, including furniture and clothes.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.