Cooper Apartments fire: Residents denied access to retrieve belongings 5 months later

FORT WORTH, Texas - Residents at a Fort Worth apartment complex displaced after a fire in June are still fighting to get their belongings back. 

The latest offer from management limits residents to three boxes of belongings, which they aren't allowed to retrieve themselves.

Cooper Apartments fire update

The latest:

Residents are being told they can try to describe the items they need to a construction team, but the items cannot include clothes, and must fit into three, 20 by 16-inch boxes. 

The Cooper's management company, RPM Living, refuses to let her and the other Building One tenants inside. 

While the six-alarm fire damaged 36 units, there are 170 more units believed to be undamaged. 

The complex has told residents they cannot go inside for safety reasons. The City of Fort Worth has determined the building is not at risk of collapsing.

Residents kept from belongings

What they're saying:

Amy Ngo believes they should be allowed to retrieve their belongings. 

"I just want my clothes. They're easy to pack up, throw in a trash bag and throw it down," Ngo said.

Ngo says she has no idea how to begin to list out belongings that can fit into three medium-sized boxes. 

"It's been five months, so honestly, I don't remember where all my things are," Ngo said.

FOX 4 first met Eli Acevedo just three days after the fire. 

"A little hope now that we grabbed some of our stuff, and have an idea of how our apartment is," Acevedo said. 

Acevedo only made it out with his dog. He says his whole life is still in the unit, including many things that can't be replaced. 

He had hope after he was allowed a brief moment to retrieve his father's ashes, saying he saw no visible damage to his unit. His apartment is on the fourth floor. 

Resident Lauren Tipton showed FOX 4 her first floor apartment with a door right next to the public sidewalk. Boards were added to windows to prevent break-ins. 

"It's emotional knowing I'm just feet from all of my stuff and the things that are special to me. They act like it is worthless, and they say it is trash. It is everything to me," Tipton said.

Tipton is worried crews won't be able to find what is most important to her. 

"My grandma's jewelry, autographs passed down by family members. I doubt they will grab them," Tipton said.

And that doesn't include her financial losses.

"Thousands and thousands of dollars. I had just moved in. My first couch and mattress, bedding. It was my first apartment by myself. It was all in there," Tipton said.

The previous spokesman for the Cooper no longer works for them, so FOX 4 reached out to the person residents have been directed to with RPM Living. They have yet to respond to inquiries.