Community helps multiple families displaced in apartment fire

Multiple families were displaced after a 30-unit complex went up in flames in Holts Summit early Monday morning.

The American Red Cross, Union Hill and Pleasant Ridge baptist churches have set up donation areas and places for the affected residents to stay. Lead volunteers with the Red Cross said they have plenty of clothes donated to help the families. The Holts Summit community and surrounding communities stepped in quickly to help clothe and feed the families during the extremely cold temperatures.

Red Cross volunteers said the organization needs more monetary donations so it can provide more than clothes to the families.

Multiple crews responded to the fire Monday morning on Evergreen Drive in Holts Summit. The apartment complex, which had approximately 30 units, was considered a total loss.

Abigail Anderson, executive director of the Red Cross of Central-Northern Missouri, said every family would be given a prepaid debit card worth about $150 per family member to help pay for other essentials.

Anderson said the families displaced would be able to stay at the shelter at Union Hill Baptist Church for as long as needed.

The Red Cross helps with fire safety education, Anderson said. In 2018, the Central-Northern Missouri chapter donated more than 300 smoke detectors in the area.

Anderson said that, in 2019, the chapter plans on donating more than 900 smoke detectors. She said Holts Summit will be a focus city for fire safety education.