MIDVALE, Utah — Bella Arnold said she finally got her dream apartment.
“...and now we’re sitting outside," she said, sitting outside what was left of that dream.
As the North Union apartment complex continued to burn Friday, Arnold's clothes, her boyfriend’s medication and family photos all remained inside.
“Really old pictures of, like, family that aren’t on phones; they’re really old. I’m the one who had the only copy of them," Arnold said.
It’s a similar story that most people living in the complex's 220 units now share as they were forced to leave behind most of their valuables when the fire broke out at around 7 a.m.
“It just makes me nauseous; my mind is kind of at a blank," said resident Tyler Schubert. "I don’t even know where to start now; I have to start everything from the ground up again.”
Hundreds left with homes as apartment complex burns:
While the displaced residents wait to see what the fire took, others are working to help them get what they need.
“There’s a lot of questions on when they can go back, or what happens if they can’t go back. We have disaster help, mental help, spiritual care," explained American Red Cross community disaster manager Leigha Westover.
The complex is across the street from Hillcrest High School, where a district spokesperson said 15-20 students have lost their homes..
“We want to make sure that when [the students are] at school, they have all the services they need because we understand they’re going through something pretty serious," said Canyon School District spokesperson Jeff Haney.
The fire's impact stretched to the Little Genius Learning Center a few blocks away after they lost power and had to shut down for the day.
“I’ve been nervous, but I’ve been trying to be calm, just keeping everything safe and professional," shared center director Paula Huertas.
The Red Cross is also looking to find places for residents who need a place to stay. For Bella, that will be with family.
“We were already going through a financial hard time, and we were just getting caught back up," she said. "I’m not really sure how to feel right now. I think I need to feel like I have everything together.”
