Former Marshall Square residents plan memorial on fire’s anniversary

June 02--One year ago today, more than 80 residents were evacuated from the Marshall Square Retirement Resort in Evans because of a blaze that cost one resident her life.

Eleven lawsuits have been filed since the fire and the building that for a short time housed the tight-knit community has been demolished.

But for former Marshall Square resident Gwen Graves, the anniversary is not just about the fire but a testament to the persistent bond that still remains among those who lived there.

"It's really a sad time for us," she said. "It seems like it's been a long time and then again it seems like it happened yesterday. I have mixed emotions about it. We have really stayed together as a family. My husband said he has never seen people bond so quickly as a group, as a family. We like to be together as much as possible."

Many of the former residents meet quarterly for lunch or dinner to catch up and socialize. Today the group is coming together to honor their friends, including Dorothy Carpenter, who died in the fire.

Graves said that she and other former residents plan to remember Carpenter, who was the lone fatality, along with three others who have passed away since the fire, with a memorial at Washington Commons.

"I really don't want to even dwell on the fire at all," Graves said about the memorial. "It's a time to remember those that have gone on. There's an old indian proverb that goes, as long as you remember them they'll stay with us."

The residents plan to light a candle and present a rose for Carpenter, Mary Jane Smith, Fumiyo Marsengill and Chris Karamichael during the memorial.

"I really don't want it to be a sad time. I know it's going to be sad when you remember the ones who passed away this year, we've lost some really fine people," Graves said. "But it will be a good time to be together again."

In March, Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens ruled the fire was accidental and ignited by a faulty air-conditioner unit in the third-floor billiard room. The official report is under final review.

"The case should be closed and ready for dissemination within about two weeks," said Hudgens' media relations director Glenn Allen, who added that the report also has to go through a redaction process before being released.

According to previous reports, the fire broke out around 3 a.m. June 2 triggering the first of four alarms.

The fire ravaged the central building and east wing of the 188,000-square-foot senior community. A chaotic scene was described by residents and first responders in the days after the fire.

Residents recalled being told by staff to remain in their rooms despite hearing the fire alarms. That and a lack of fire evacuation plans have led to several lawsuits claiming negligence by the parent company, Nebraska-based Resort Lifestyle Communities.

Carpenter was trapped in her third-floor apartment and a survivor, 82-year-old Rhetta Cadle, was found by firefighters seven hours later huddled under wet towels in the bathroom of her burned and partially collapsed third-floor apartment.

In the months that followed, the residents were relocated. Some moved back to homes they had not yet sold and others moved to nearby senior living communities.

Now, looking back on a year filled with emotion, Graves took a moment to remember the outpouring of help and support from the community.

"We really appreciate how the businesses and people have reached out to help those who lost everything in the fire," Graves said.

The company's chief operations officer, Steve Mueller, has said there are plans to rebuild the $27 million resort. And Graves and other residents have said they would happily move back to what Graves called "a wonderful place."

___

(c)2016 The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.)

Visit The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.) at chronicle.augusta.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.