Young couple seeks assistance replacing belongings lost in apartment fire

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 2/4/21

BELLE — Tenants at 506 E. Fifth Street Apartments, Belle, were moving out Jan. 29 when they said they smelled burning, noticed smoke coming out of the vents and called 911.

Corbin Forsee and …

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Young couple seeks assistance replacing belongings lost in apartment fire

Posted

BELLE — Tenants at 506 E. Fifth Street Apartments, Belle, were moving out Jan. 29 when they said they smelled burning, noticed smoke coming out of the vents and called 911.

Corbin Forsee and his girlfriend Alexis Mayer had been removing their belongings from the apartment since the previous day and had just finished loading another truck when they said they smelled burning coming from the vents.

“I thought it might have been the furnace, so I turned off the furnace,” Forsee said. “No sooner than I turned the furnace off, smoke started rolling out of the vents. I called the police as soon as I saw the smoke.”

The couple had shut their dogs in the back bedroom while they waited for the emergency services to arrive.

“When we opened the back door after the police got here, they came running out, and the cop ducked down and saw everything on fire,” Forsee said. “We still don’t know what caused it. They are saying something in the wall might have caused it.”

Forsee said Mayer had been napping on the bed about 15 minutes prior to them making the call to emergency services. He added that neither one of them smokes, and since they were nearly moved out, there was nothing plugged into the walls.

“Everything was already packed up and moved out,” Forsee said. “It sucks, ‘cause if it just would have waited another hour, everything would have been out.”

Belle Volunteer Fire Chief Dwight Francis said the fire originated on the mattress. Some speculation was made that a hot ember from a dirty furnace in the apartment next door could have blown onto the mattress and set it alight, but was not confirmed.

Forsee said he and Mayer did not have renter’s insurance on the apartment and would appreciate the community’s assistance in helping to replace furniture (bed and night stand) and clothes for Mayer, which were still in the bedroom that caught fire. Mayer wears women’s medium tops and ladies pants size eight and nine. She also wears size eight shoes.

If anyone has something they would like to give, they can contact Forsee at corbinforsee17@gmail.com or by cell phone at 636-234-7351.