SAN MARCOS, Texas -- A resource center opened Tuesday in San Marcos for those who lost their home in the apartment fire Friday.
All of the five bodies recovered from the fire are at the medical examiner’s office where they will be identified. The identification process could take up to a week. Search and recovery efforts at the Iconic Village apartments are now complete, finding no additional victims. The investigation still continues, as there is still no information on were the first started or what caused it.
MORE | 5 bodies found after San Marcos apartment fire
Texas State University student Jackson King was among the former residents of the Iconic Village and Vintage Pads apartments who stopped by the San Marcos Activity Center to access services at the resource center.
“After realizing that it was a fire, that I was in fight or flight, I didn’t have time to look around anymore, because I was choking on every breath," King said "No, I jumped out the window with the clothes on my back.”
The San Marcos Activity Center will serve as a resource center Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Some of the organizations assisting in the center include the American Red Cross, the Austin Disaster Relief Network, Texas State Dean of Students, Texas DPS and the Blanco Regional Recovery Team, which will be taking donations.
“We’re here to help them recover their lives and help them rebuild and start back from where they were when the disaster occurred,” said Peggy Jones, secretary for the Blanco Regional Recovery Team. “So we’re going straight from donation to within four days. We will be giving out those donations at 100 percent.”
The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter has also stepped up, offering to house displaced animals for up to two weeks, as well as provide pet food and supplies. Animal shelter supervisor Erin McCann said she understands what it is like to lose possessions in a fire.
“My dog was everything when that happened,” she said. “So, I can only imagine how they feel, how much comfort it brings them, just to know they’re there.”
The Austin Disaster Relief Network is providing emotional and spiritual support on site. Hays County reached out and asked counselors and chaplains to help families who have missing loved ones.
“The best thing for them in this point in time is to be able to talk through their story with somebody to process it. What we try to do is let them find the hope in what can seem like a hopeless situation,” said Chris Reighley, field operations manager for Austin Disaster Relief Network.
Five residents of the apartments remain missing:
- James Miranda
- Haley Frizzell
- Belinda Moats
- David Ortiz
- Dru Estes
Jason Saldana lived in the Iconic Village apartments and said he did not hear smoke alarms, but instead woke up to sounds of people screaming because they were jumping out of the window. Saldana left the resource center with a box of canned good, gift cards and toiletries. He spoke with members of Austin Disaster Relief Network.
“They talked with us and actually really engaged with us and asked a lot of questions, and talked to us like we were people,” Saldana said.
All the funds donated to the team will be distributed to those that register at the Resource Center on Tuesday. At a press conference Monday, questions arose as to why these kinds of resources weren't immediately provided. San Marcos City Manager Bert Lumbreras said there's been resources available to the victims since day one.
"From the very first day, we were out there. I want to stress that because that would be a total mischaracterization of what the community and the city has done. What we're talking about now is a Resource Center that then finds some sort of longer term placement,” Lumbreras said.
Resources available include:
- The Red Cross: Processing claims for possible assistance
- Austin Disaster Relief Network: Gift Card Assistance
- Texas State University Dean of Students Office: Assisting with Off-Campus Living
- City of San Marcos Electric Utilities Division: Assisting with Utilities
- San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter: Assistance with pet food, supplies and information pertaining to missing pets
- Blanco River Regional Recovery Team-BR3T: Gift Cards Available
- Salvation Army USA: Gift Cards Available and providing a free lunch
- Chaplains will be on hand for spiritual support
- Texas State Counseling Center
- Hill Country MHDD Centers
- Central Texas Food Bank: Toiletry and dry goods boxes
- Texas DPS: Replacing lost drivers licenses
- The Bike Cave: Assisting with bike replacement
The City is not accepting material donations such as clothing and home goods, but these can be donated at the San Marcos Donation Center, located at 420 S Mitchell St, First Baptist Church NBC. Monetary donations can be made to the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team by visiting www.br3t.org and clicking the “Donate” button and entering the word “Iconic” in the comment box.