'I lost everything inside': People share their experience from south Austin fire

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- People who lost their homes in a Feb. 1 apartment fire in south Austin are sharing their story about that night, as the city's fire department is providing more details about why it never received reports of the smoke alarms sounding off during the blaze.

On the morning of the fire, many residents said they did not hear the smoke alarms ringing to alert them about the fire. Many people were woken up by either their neighbors or first responders slamming on their doors.

That's how Ali Shammar was awoken that early morning. "I just heard someone knocking on the door. I didn't hear anything I was just sleeping," Shammar explained.

He lived in that apartment for seven years, he said. When he woke up all he had time to grab was his car keys and his dog before escaping. Shammar, originally from the Middle East, lost his passport and legal documents in the fire. The fire displaced 22 people, according to Austin fire.

"You are like, kind of homeless. You don't have any documents, and just watching this I was very shocked," Shammar said. He, like many of his neighbors, said they did not hear any of the smoke alarms going off during the blaze. The managers of the complex contest that claim, saying the smoke detectors were blaring for days after the fire was even put out.

On the morning of the fire, an assistant chief told media they did not receive any reports of smoke detector alarms. A spokesperson for the fire department added some clarity to why that happened. They said the fire started on an outdoor balcony where there are no smoke detectors.

Outdoor areas are not required to have smoke detectors, according to a fire department spokesperson. The department also said the Cannon South apartments were inspected in October last year and there were no violations.

Shammar set up a Go Fund Me page to help him restart. He has been staying on a friend's couch as he looks for a new apartment.

"I lost everything inside," Shammar said.

A link to his page can be found here.