One day after a fire destroys a Fayetteville four-plex, families are picking up the pieces and moving on.
The smell of smoke still surrounds the building in 540 block of Betty Jo Drive on Sunday. There are broken windows and burnt wood left from the blaze that destroyed the homes of three families. No one was living in the fourth unit.
Eduardo Hernandez is salvaging what the flames left untouched. However, his bulldog terrier didn't make it out alive.
"I lost my dog… I tried to save him but the smoke inhalation got to me," 12-year occupant Hernandez said.
Hernandez also lost clothes, furniture and memories of his time in the military.
"A lot of pictures from Vietnam, I was in Vietnam for four years," Hernandez said.
The American Red Cross was on the scene as firefighters extinguished the blaze Saturday afternoon.
"The Red Cross helped us with some money to buy clothes and food," Hernandez said.
The building's manager, Marsha Beard, believes the fire started in the backyard.
“The fire marshall hasn’t determined the cause, firefighters took pictures to take back with them,” said Beard.
"Thank the lord they all got out safe, the dogs got out safe and everybody is fine," said Lloyd Denisson said.
Denisson said his son, daughter-in-law, and 13-year-old granddaughter were asleep when neighbors told them to get out.
"Our granddaughter has cerebral palsy, so we were worried about that because she has a lot of equipment, luckily, it was salvageable like her wheelchair and electronic stuff she uses," Denisson said.
As Eduardo Hernandez picks up the pieces, he said he's started his search for a new home.
"I'm lucky, I'm alive, that's what's most important. Things can be replaced," Hernandez said.
Beard said she contacted the building’s insurance carrier and expects a call back on Monday. She said she believes the structure is a total loss.