Columbus Fire & Rescue will help hold a time for remembrance for those affected by a deadly fire last year at the Jamestown Square townhouses.
Oranjula Shanklin, an 11-year-old girl, died in the blaze in the east Columbus complex on Oct. 1, 2014. On Thursday, it will be one year since the fire.
Fire Department spokesman Anthony Colom said the vigil will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Columbus Lock and Dam. Colom said Sholanda Conner, a victim who lived in one of the affected apartments, organized the event.
The vigil is, more than anything, supposed to be a time for reflection.
“This is meant for the community to gather together,” Colom said.
“Sholanda and her three daughters were in the apartment at the time of the fire,” Colom said. “Firefighters managed to rescue them, but her oldest daughter, Deja, sustained some memory loss from the fire. They had to teach her how to walk and talk all over again. She’s a teenager, but it’s basically been like starting over for them.”
Colom said the fire department will present Deja with an honorary firefighter’s badge Thursday morning at Columbus High School.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Oct. 1, 2014, affected seven families. Four apartment buildings — 19, 20, 21 and 22 — were damaged.
Colom said several victims from the fire will be at the vigil.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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