Del City Families Displaced After Apartment Fire On Thanksgiving; Police Search For Person Of Interest

Residents at a Del City apartment complex had a rude wake up call after a fire broke out on Thanksgiving morning.

Del City Fire Investigators said they have determined the fire to be suspicious and that they have a person of interest, but have not released that person's name.

Dozens of families had to be evacuated from that complex on Bryant Avenue, just south of Southeast 29th. The fire happened at the Oak Ridge apartment complex on Thursday morning.

One of the residents, Denise Dickerson, recalled her experience of evacuation.

"I was just getting up to get ready for work. And I heard a 'POW,' and I woke my kids up because they were all here for Thanksgiving. And my daughter said, 'mom, there's smoke!' So we all jumped up and we went into the kitchen. And the room was filling with smoke and just started to come through the vents. So we all just got out just as quick as we could," Denise recalled.

Fire Chief Brandon Purcell said what they know so far is that this fire started on the lower level of the apartment complex.

Two units have fire damage and two units have water damage, so four families will be displaced, Chief Purcell said. He said that they are reaching out to the American Red Cross to help those families.

One person that occupied one of those units on the lower level did leave the scene of the fire before crews arrived, the chief said.

Fire investigators said they will be at the apartment to try to figure out the cause of the fire and will search for that person who escaped.

Denise said how tough this was to wake up to Thanksgiving morning.

"It's really hard. I have a new six-month-old grandbaby and we all had to come outside like this. It's really heartbreaking," Denise said.