Two families and two men became homeless Friday night, Aug. 22, when a blaze destroyed their apartment building in Milan.

Two teenage girls, the female half of a young couple, a military veteran and an older man were home in separate apartments when the fire was detected about 4 p.m., reported Sandy Vanderbur, Ripley County Red Cross director.

“I don’t know if the girls (14 and 17) were trying to gather stuff to take out,” but they and a boyfriend ended up with burns and went to Margaret Mary Community Hospital, where they were treated and released. When the teens’ mother arrived home from work to the burning building, the First Baptist Church minister took her to be with her daughters at the hospital.

The four apartments at 116 W. Carr St. were “pretty well fully engulfed” when Milan firefighters responded, said Chief Trace Cutter. With a collapsed roof, he called the building a total loss.

“I mean they lost everything,” Vanderbur said of the tenants’ possessions. “It was devastating to them all.” Back at the scene from the hospital, the girls were worried because they lost their computer and Wii, but the mother was grateful they were alive. “You’re standing right here in front of me,” she pointed out to the girls, the Red Cross director recalled.

Around 75 volunteers from Milan, Delaware, Versailles, Sunman, Dillsboro, Osgood and Batesville fought the blaze. One fireman who reportedly fell off of a ladder also was treated and released, according to Cutter.

“It was so hot” there, Vanderbur said. Despite “all the chaos” with fire and rescue vehicles converging, “everything just went smoothly.” All of the volunteers “worked together so fantastically” as town residents gathered ice and food for them. “That whole town just kind of pulled it together and took over. They should all be applauded,” she noted.

Most of the visiting units left the smoldering building at about 11 p.m. Milan firefighters were the last to leave at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, over 10 hours after the incident began.

“We don’t know what the cause (of the fire) was,” the chief said. Employees at the state fire marshal’s office have been called in to investigate.

When the Red Cross director and volunteers arrived at 5:30 p.m. Friday, “we basically just made sure they had a place to stay,” then handed out food and clothing vouchers.

“Right now the mother and teenagers are staying with her other daughter in Milan.” The vet is temporarily living with a son and the young couple with an uncle. The elderly man, who has no family, is staying at a hotel. “The Town of Milan kind of took him over,” according to Vanderbur.

The Ripley County chapter “will be assisting them with their first month’s rents” once they find new apartments.

The Red Cross is asking for donations of furniture, household goods and clothing. “I’m going to meet with the victims. We’ll figure out which donated items would be suitable” for which families. Persons who have items to donate may call the Ripley County Red Cross at 812-689-6308.

Monetary donations, which may be sent to P.O. Box 221, Versailles, IN 47042, will be used for bedding and other necessities.

Debbie Blank can be contacted at 812-934-4343, Ext. 113; or debbie.blank@ batesvilleheraldtribune.com.