BROOKSVILLE — Leaving their apartments with little more than the clothes on their backs, more than 30 residents of the Brooksville Court Apartments fled a fire on Thanksgiving Day.

Shortly after 11:30 a.m., residents were alerted to smoke and a fire at the apartment complex and evacuations began.

"My cousin came to my window and said to get out," said Donald Goddard who uses his motorized wheel chair, and sometimes his crutches to get around. "They still have to get my crutches."

As rescuers, Bracken County EMS and firefighters from Brooksville and Augusta arrived at the fire Thursday, a call had also gone out for a bus with handicapped access.

Response was immediate, officials said.

"Tony Johnson (Bracken County School superintendent) and Gary Riggs (Bracken County judge-executive) got the handicapped accessible bus from the school and helped get everybody where they needed to go," Cooper said. "That bus was essential, because some of these folks need the lift for their wheelchairs."

The fire damaged two apartments, but smoke damaged others and a necessary post incident safety inspection must be completed before anyone can return, officials said.

A resident of the apartment above the one where burning food on the stove apparently caused the fire was taken to Meadowview Regional Medical Center for smoke inhalation, officials said.

Manager Michelle Sallee is coordinating retrieval of essentials like medicines and personal papers from the impacted apartments, said Brooksville Police Chief Marty Hause.

"The fire marshal inspected it (Friday) and has turned it over to the management to get (safety) inspected before anyone can move back in," said Bracken County American Red Cross Coordinator Judy Cooper.

While many residents were fortunate to have other accommodations available, half a dozen residents have been sheltered at the Super 8 Motel in Maysville by the Red Cross.

John Reed and other residents waited patiently Friday by a box Cooper had delivered and filled with sandwiches, fruit and snacks. It was the center of attention at lunchtime in the hotel lobby.

"Everyone has been very good to us," said Bobby Wachter, offering support to Goddard as the news arrived it may be two weeks before residents will be able to return to their homes.

Cooper gathered a list of clothing sizes and planned to brave Black Friday shopping crowds at local department stores in search of a few sets of clothing for each of the displaced fire victims.

She is concerned about where the group will stay when the three-day vouchers run out Sunday morning. For the time being the group has created its own family group.

"He's my adopted dad," Goddard said of Bobby Wachter.

Phyllis Griffin, also in a wheelchair for mobility offered to help Goddard in the future. They complimented the temporary accommodations.

"Miss Phyllis (Griffin) is staying in the room with Miss Fannie Mae (McDowell) because Miss Fannie can't hear well. They are waiting to hear from the apartment managers," Cooper said. "It is going to take time to clean up the messes (at the apartments). The electric is off and besides the smoke there are all those refrigerators of food what will need to be cleaned out."

Super 8 Motel staff provided a free continental breakfast and a lot of coffee for the victims, Friday.

"It's going to be all right," said Judy Wachter as she distributed the lunch foods and joked about the oversized, borrowed, trousers she was trying to keep from falling down until Cooper returned.

Identity and condition of the injured resident was not available, officials said.

For information on Bracken Red Cross efforts call 606-782-1751.

For more area news, go to www.maysville-online.com.

To report a news tip contact Wendy Mitchell at wendy.mitchell@lee.net or call 606-564-9091, ext. 276.