BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (WALB) - A South Georgia family is speaking out after a fire destroyed their entire apartment, leaving several families displaced. The family told WALB they believe this was arson.

“They tried to kill my children, my family, and on my time, it’s not going to happen,” said Sabrina Hawkins, the family’s grandmother.

Hawkins, who is the mother of Alaiyah Bailey, told WALB that she is extremely emotional after she received the call about her daughter’s house being on fire while her family was not home.

“I just don’t have a place anymore. That was my peace, my spot. I just don’t know how to feel since that happened,” Bailey said.

The family said they believe this was an act of arson, but investigators said they are still working to determine the cause.

“The fire started in the utility room, and as it was leaving, it went into the front porch area where it had an aluminum siding, and it melted through that,” Bainbridge Fire Chief Doyle Welch said.

11 people were displaced in this fire. The fire burned the electrical wires, shutting off power to those units.

According to Doyle, the fire started in apartment 2101 and then it spread to apartment 2102. You can see the damage on the door from the fire. But thankfully, Doyle said, apartment 2102 was vacant at the time.

“But the other four was occupied. There was a little bit of smoke damage down in there. The firefighters did a good job at stopping that fire in the attic area to keep it from spreading,” Doyle said.

As for Bailey, she said she’s lost everything, and she is asking for the public’s help for clothes and formula for her 1-year-old and 6-month-old daughters.

“It’s just a bad situation, so hopefully she gets the help that she needs or another place to live,” a concerned neighbor said.

Bailey said she is fine, “as long as my kids get clothes and baby supplies — mostly clothing because that all got ruined.”

Bailey said her youngest daughter uses Enfamil, and if you can, she is asking for people to donate to her Chime account @$alaiyahbailey23. The family also is in need of a hotel room.

The apartment complex has started their electricity restoration process so that the 11 people who were displaced can finally move back in.

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