With the fire trucks cleared out and the building boarded up, Dipika Das came to look at the damage to her home for the past two and a half years.
She said Sunday morning's fire to Bell Walker's Crossing Apartments was one of the scariest times in her life.
"Somebody's banging on my door and my friend called me yelling, 'Fire! Fire!'" said Das, a Bell Walker's Crossing resident.
Das and her 34 neighbors who lived in building 200 are now working with Bell Walker's Crossing management to find a place to live. According to the Knoxville Fire Department, the fire started on the second floor balcony and spread to the attic. KFD said a careless smoker is to blame.
"We have been able to take care successfully of five people here at Bell Walker's Crossing Apartment Homes and then two others at our sister communities, Eagle Pointe and Forrest Ridge, and we're going to help them the best they can to get settled again," said manager Adrienne Smith.
While the residents are displaced, the Red Cross and West End Church of Christ have provided temporary relief for residents like Das.
"The Red Cross are really, really helpful," said Das.
The Red Cross set up shop inside the clubhouse to assist residents with clothes, food, and temporary shelter. The process has become all too familiar to volunteer Louie Keeling.
"We've had 21 multi-family fires this year. That's a large number of multi-family fires," said Keeling. They also respond to single family fires and severe weather damage.
The Red Cross says they base their budget on years past, but this year has been non-stop disasters.
"Fires like this are very expensive when you start dealing with large numbers of people so it taxes our resources as well," said Keeling.
To help with the need, West End Church of Christ came over with supplies during the fire. They also asked for donations during their service and have seen a good response.
"It was actually so much we had to put it away so we could walk in the lobby. It was a lot of stuff," said Youth Minister Rhett Priode.
Residents say the help means a lot as they try to start over from scratch.
All of the residents had renter's insurance -- a requirement at the complex.
Both the Red Cross and the church are asking for donations.