16 Apartments destroyed. Tennants lost everything.
Mostly Casino Workers.
If you would like to help Contact Julie at River Pointe
Apts - 662-363-4000
Address: 11594 Old Highway 61 North Robinsonville MS 38664
From the Desoto Appeal:
A fire that destroyed 16 apartments in the River Point apartment complex in Robinsonville Sunday afternoon most likely was caused by barbecue grills.
Tunica Fire Chief Ellis Koonce said Monday the fire was reported at 12:40 p.m. Sunday. It was finally extinguished at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
"The good news was that everyone got out and no one was injured," he said.
Koonce said the investigation on the cause is continuing, but he said he's "95 percent certain" the fire started when two barbecue grills on an upstairs balcony flamed up and set fire to the siding on the apartment walls.
"The siding materials are largely petroleum products," he said. "Once it got started, there was no stopping it. It quickly got to the attic and spread."
He said the location of the grills -- on the windward side of the building -- probably led to the grills flaming up.
"The people had gone back inside for a minute and when they returned, the place was on fire," he said.
DeSoto County firefighters responded to assist the Tunica departments in battling the fire.
Koonce said he received assistance from units of the Eudora, Hernando and Walls fire departments.
River Point, a garden-style apartment development, is near the intersection of Old Highway 61 and Miss. 304 in Robinsonville.
"We had the Red Cross in and everybody was placed in some kind of shelter Sunday night," he said.
Koonce said preliminary damage estimates would put the damages at about $1 million.
"That's a preliminary figure. It could go higher," he said.
-- William C. Bayne: (662) 996-1408
