It has been one year since a devastating fire on Wallace Avenue in Allerton displaced more than 250 people – many residents are still without permanent housing.

News 12 spoke with one of the former residents of the building, Vanessa Perkins, who says she vividly remembers the day her home was destroyed.

Perkins lived in the apartment for more than four decades. In one night, she lost her home and the memories she built there.

“The fire marshals showed me a picture from my apartment, and I don’t even know where it began — it was so horrible,” Perkins said. “We travel, so we picked up different things along the way. We could never get those things back. We’re not materialistic people, but that was our life. That was everything that we all lost.”

The fire started around 1:45 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, forcing Perkins and her neighbors out into the cold. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly 12 hours before it was fully under control.

Perkins lived on the sixth floor with her daughter. Although the fire started in a neighbor’s apartment down the hall, the damage was so severe that she was never able to return.

Perkins says she continues to struggle to secure permanent housing.