Fire Victims Find Comfort at Local Hotel

Some residents of the Cumberland Towers in Little Rock are enjoying what they call a weekend getaway vacation, just days after a fire ripped through the place they call home. The Little Rock Fire Department says it could be weeks before determining the cause of Thursday mornings fire at the Cumberland Towers. For now, some of the residents are taking it easy at the Clarion Hotel in Little Rock. The Little Rock Housing Authority worked out a plan to house them there for the weekend. Wanda Hendrix invited us into her temporary room on the 8th floor of the hotel. "I`ve got a twin bed at home. This morning I woke and couldn`t find my cat anywhere. She was underneath the covers sound asleep. We had room to spare," said Hendrix. Its not exactly the comfort of home, but Wanda says shes spending the weekend, knitting a baby blanket, and watching her cat precious take it easy. She says its hardly what they experienced days ago, when Wanda put her life in jeopardy for her pet. "She`s my daughter, she`s my family," said Hendrix. And like Wanda, 33 other are again under the same roof. Each has a story to tell. "The smoke was so fierce, I just had to feel my way to the stairwell," said resident Gladys Akins. "That was the worst morning in my life," said resident Clydil Williams. But now these folks are living the good life at the Clarion, being treated to a full service restaurant, and a comfortable bed to sleep in. "We were really glad that we had the space available and were able to take care of people," said hotel general manager David Reasoner. "We are just relaxing and enjoying and God bless the hotel," said Akins. "You hear about people and fires, but until you live through it, you can`t appreciate the people that help," added Hendrix. Many of the resident staying at the hotel will be heading back to the Cumberland Towers on Monday.