DATE: Saturday, November 29, 1997           TAG: 9711290201

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

DATELINE: DANVILLE                          LENGTH:   47 lines

200 LOSE HOMES WHEN FIRE SWEEPS 2 FLOORS OF DANVILLE COMPLEX

About 200 people lost their homes on Thanksgiving when fire and related damage gutted the second and third floors of an apartment complex, fire officials said Friday.

No injuries were reported.

The first alarm from the Cabin Lake Apartments came about 8:30 p.m. Eight fire companies worked nearly six hours to bring the fire under control.

``When the first unit arrived here, there was some fire already coming through (the roof),'' Danville Deputy Fire Chief Jim Hall said.

The fire was especially difficult to put out because a lake next to the complex prevented fire trucks from getting close to the building, Fire Chief B.G. Lewis said Friday.

Lewis said 54 apartments were heavily damaged or destroyed by the fire. Most of the damage was to the second and third floors of the three-story complex.

As fire trucks continued to roll up Thanksgiving night, residents watched from the street. Several men walked away from the building carrying sports trophies and other personal items as they were evacuated. Amid sounds of dogs barking, some residents asked if they could go in to save their pets.

``I'm losing everything,'' one woman cried.

Smoke detectors and quick action by apartment residents prevented injuries, fire officials said.

``All the apartments are fitted with detectors, and . . . I understand the residents went door-to-door alerting each other,'' Fire Capt. Scott McNeely said.

Fire units were still on the scene checking hot spots and investigating Friday afternoon, and none of the residents of the 110 apartment units had been allowed to return. The complex housed about 500 people.

McNeely said the local Red Cross and Salvation Army branches have set up an office to find housing and clothes for the displaced residents. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS

The first alarm from the Cabin Lake Apartments in Danville came

about 8:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Firefighters from eight fire

companies worked nearly six hours to bring the fire under control.

Smoke detectors and quick action by apartment residents prevented

injuries, fire officials said. KEYWORDS: FIRE

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