TEMPE, AZ — A Tempe family is forced to start over after a devastating fire, which they believe was caused by lithium batteries, ripped through their apartment last week.
Massive flames from an apartment fire on Wednesday made emergency crews treat several Tempe police officers near Mill and Southern avenues.
Crews reported explosions from inside one of the units, ABC15 spoke with a couple who lived in the unit where the fire started.
"Surreal! Surreal! Yeah, it is hard,” said Jessica Dallachie.
Dallachie tells ABC15 it's something she wishes she never had gone through.
"I still haven't processed everything. Things are coming back to me every day about what I've lost,” said Dallachie.
Tempe fire officials have not determined the cause of the fire that destroyed six units and damaged two others.
But, Dallachie says she has an idea.
She was inside the unit and on the phone with her fiancé.
"All of a sudden, I heard two pops and then heard a woosh sound, so went down the hallway and immediately saw smoke,” said Dallachie.
The smoke, Dallachie says, filled the hallway. And, before rushing out, she peeked into her fiancé’s workroom.
"The flames instantly were about 10 inches to a foot tall,” she said.
Soon after arriving on the scene, firefighters said 'welding equipment and some other source' could be what sparked the fire.
The next day, a person at the apartment complex sent ABC15 a picture showing fire investigators looking at equipment outside.
On Monday, Dallachie’s fiancé, James Deschaine, spoke with ABC15.
"I am a mechanic. I do road service across the state helping people with automobiles and other equipment,” said Deschaine.
He tells ABC15 three lithium batteries were in his workroom.
"I had some reservations about the batteries. But, I tested them and they tested well,” said Deschaine.
Deschaine says he felt helpless.
He, his fiancée, and his 2-year-old daughter lost 10 cats. The family was able to save one other cat and a dog.
"I cried. I saw everything I had, including our animals, perish. It kills me to sit and think I probably should have taken those batteries out,” added Deschaine.
The renter's insurance has helped the family find temporary housing. But, he and Dallachie have an online fundraiser to help in other ways.
Tempe Fire Department says six people, including five police officers, were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Doctors expected those six people to be OK.
