It's been five months since a six-alarm fire at Cooper Apartments forced hundreds of residents from their homes, and many still cannot access their belongings. With the holidays approaching, the loss is hitting families hard, but tenants and their attorneys say there may finally be some progress.

This holiday season looks very different for Ashley and Justin Teachman. The apartment they decorated last year is now boarded up.

"It's unfathomable knowing all of our life… our things," said Justin Teachman. "Right behind those walls."

Families say holidays are harder with belongings locked away

The Teachmans are among hundreds displaced by the June 23 fire . Since then, the complex has restricted access to units and declared most, including the Teachmans', total losses, even though the

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