Friday morning marked the Salah family’s first trip back to their home at the Collins Park Apartments since it caught fire.
They say it’s hard to describe the emotions they felt as they walked through it.
“I mean, I’ll just leave it to God and see if anybody can help us,” said Marwan Salah.
On Thursday evening, fire erupted through nine apartments at the complex, which is located on East Sanford Street.
The Arlington Fire Department says a cooking fire in one of the first floor units got out of control and rapidly spread.
“It was devastating,” said Aza Salah, who was home at the time. “It’s very hard to watch, seeing your stuff in front of your eyes just burn – everything you have.”
Five of the apartments can no longer be lived in.
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The Red Cross is currently providing assistance to 25 people at the complex.
“It’s not just us,” said Marwan Salah. “There’s like seven, eight families that had everything damaged, everything completely destroyed.”
The Salahs and several of their neighbors spent most of the day salvaging what they could. They tell NBC 5 their landlord is trying to help them by letting them move into empty apartments at the complex.
But for the Salahs, who don’t have renter’s insurance, the road to recovery is going to be long and tough.
“I wish there was something I could say,” said Marwan Salah. “But, it is what it is.”
No one was hurt in the fire.
