100 residents displaced by fire at Chatham public housing complex

Article content

Municipal officials are helping nearly 100 residents of a Chatham public housing complex displaced by a fire early Sunday that sent flames shooting through the building’s roof.

Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue helped to evacuate the building at 99 McNaughton Ave. W. after firefighters responded to the blaze at about 6 a.m.

“When the crews arrived on scene, everybody was making their way out of the building,” Chief Chris Case said Monday.

Article content

Some of the tenants who live in the building’s 120 units were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, he said.

Firefighters and paramedics helped some residents with mobility issues, and neighbours helped each other, Case said. “There were no actual rescues, everybody was able to get themselves out.”

An emergency operations centre has been established to deal with logistics and to arrange accommodations for those who need it, the municipality said in a news release.

CK Transit vehicles were used to take residents to temporary accommodation locations in Chatham-Kent.

Chatham-Kent’s housing services did an “outstanding job” dealing with the 99 people who either found housing with friends and neighbours or were put up in hotel accommodation, Case said.

The municipal housing team is working on a plan going forward to help the residents, the chief said.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said it’s working to help residents of the municipally owned apartment complex that provides low-income housing. Of the complex’s 120 units, 90 are affected.

Eric Labadie, a municipal spokesperson, said staff have called hotels, motels and “everywhere we can think of to get people into accommodations. Our team at housing services has been working basically around the clock to get people into temporary accommodations.”

Article content

Article content

About half the displaced residents are staying with family and friends, he said.

“It’s been difficult, no question about that, but there’s a lot of people who are community-minded and have stepped up to allow us to get everybody who are needing accommodations into accommodations.”

It is not known when the residents will be able to return to their units.

“Our first priority is the safety and well-being of those displaced by the fire,” said Michael Duben, Chatham-Kent’s chief administrative officer.

“Our teams have been working diligently to ensure that displaced residents are housed and to ensure that work is expedited to allow residents to return to their units as soon as possible.”

Those affected by the fire can contact the homelessness response line at 519-354-6628.

Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue received a 911 notification just before 6 a.m. followed by several 911 calls to police/fire dispatchers.

“When (firefighters) arrived on scene they found quite a developed fire breaking through the roof,” Case said.

Within 30 minutes a dozen trucks were on scene and more than 40 firefighters were fighting the blaze that closed a section of McNaughton Avenue for several hours Sunday, he said.

Article content

Though it was quite a large fire, crews were able to quickly knock the flames down and prevent them from spreading to rest of the building, Case said.

The fire was difficult to fight because it was in an upper apartment and broke into the roof, he said.

The crews on scene had to deploy both an interior and an exterior attack using a ladder to try to prevent flames from spreading, Case said.

The fire appeared to be mostly knocked down by 9:30 a.m., but the extent of the damage at the municipally owned complex was unknown.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, Case said.

Several investigators from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal as well as investigators from Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue and Chatham-Kent police are looking into the cause of the blaze, he said.

Engineers and loss prevention staff from Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue were on scene Monday to try to determine a damage estimate, Case said.

“It is a significant damage to the building and it’s going to be quite a rebuild involved,” he said.

“This building is going to be out of commission, some of it’s going to be out of commission for some time.”

Article content

A new affordable housing project under construction on property in front of 99 McNaughton Ave. W. was not damaged, Case said.

Construction on the project will be able to continue, he said.

“The investigation team have been very accommodating in realizing that we have a bigger issue than just the investigation.”

Randy Dehaw, who lives toward the front of the complex, watched the scene on Sunday as he spoke with other tenants on the sidewalk.

“I just saw the flames,” he said. “From what I hear, everybody’s OK.”

Emmanuel Baptist Church, located across the street, opened its doors to assist residents.

“They’re awesome,” said Dehaw, who’s lived in the building since 1997. “They’re helping us right out … They’re going out of their way.”

Another resident, who didn’t wish to be named, said she just wants to go home, but was unsure when that will happen.

“I’m hearing different stuff. There’s a lot of water damage,” she said.

She credited emergency crews for their efforts, adding “it’s nice to see that kind of presence,” along with the church for providing a dry place to sit down.

She has been living in the complex for 15 years.

“This is the first really big fire I’ve seen here,” she said.

Article content