By Sheila B. Lalwani
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
Copyright 2006 Journal Sentinel Inc.
RACINE, Wis. — Victor Hallom and his brother fell to the ground Saturday after they identified the bodies of their mother and half-sister.
They had hoped against hope that Gloria Denton, 44, and her daughter, Natesha Denton, 9, had escaped the fire Friday that gutted the apartment building in the 4200 block of Durand Ave.
But the bodies of the two were found Saturday under debris at the building.
The blaze at the Courtyard Apartments forced the evacuation of more than 100 residents and sent police and firefighters searching for clues.
No arrests have been made, but Racine police would not eliminate arson as the cause of the deadly fire. Lt. Jerry Baldukas said police are “following several suspicious leads.”
Racine Fire Chief Steve Hansen said the fire is believed to have started in a sofa that was standing on end in a stairwell and was being moved by tenants departing the 48-unit, two-story complex.
Rumors flew among residents that a youth angry about being evicted was responsible for setting the building ablaze.
“It’s a sinful vendetta,” said Terry Johnson, 45, who lived in the apartment building.
The fire forced some residents, such as Allieas Williams, 25, to jump out of windows to survive. Once Williams, who lives with Danette Conwell, 25, escaped, Conwell tossed their children to him.
All else — Conwell’s mother’s urn, videotapes of the children’s births and their new TV set — was lost.
“Everything,” Conwell said. “My whole life.”
Residents who were evacuated from other buildings in the complex were allowed to return to their apartments at 6 p.m. Saturday, nearly 24 hours after the fire broke out. Authorities said about 50 residents of the damaged building, which was a near-total loss, would not be allowed to return.
The American Red Cross provided short-term shelter, food and clothing to about 30 people who had lost their homes and were using Case High School as an emergency shelter.
Dawn King, 26, stayed at Knights Inn for a few hours before relocating to Case High. King lost everything except her laptop, which she kept in her car.
“In a fire, you don’t think, ‘I need this, I need that,’ ” said Shant’e Oliver, 33. “You get the (expletive) out of there.”
Despite counting their blessings for escaping the building alive, residents cried as they struggled to come to grips with their loss.
Cleveland Edmonson, 37, stood behind the yellow tape that separated him from his home for nearly the whole day. He moved into the Courtyard Apartments less than a year ago and doesn’t have insurance.
He feared he had lost everything.
“If the fire didn’t get it, then I figure the water damage did,” Edmonson said.
A representative for the apartment complex management declined to give his name and waved off reporters.
For many, what hurt most was the possibility of losing what can’t be replaced.
Denise Trotter, 52, said she had photographs and achievement certificates that her children earned during their formative years.
“I hope I didn’t lose my pictures,” she said.
She also lost some birds.
“They’ll be replaced, but I’ll miss them.”
It is the second fatal fire in a week in Racine. On Aug. 12, a 4-year-old girl and her great-grandmother were killed in a fire in the 300 block of Graham St. The city has lost five residents to fires this year.
As for Victor Hallom, he said members of his family tried to inform firefighters that their mother and half-sister were in the building. Hansen said police did everything they could to save the lives of residents.
“My mother was sweet, kind and giving,” Hallom said. “She was always working for us. We’re moving to the next stage.”
Leslie Gray, 19, stood on the sidelines, sang a gospel song and remembered her friend, Gloria Denton, as a “good, spiritual woman.”