On December 27th me, DH and our two daughters were sitting at home when the fire alarm went off. DH ran to the second floor and found a large fire in an apartment. He kicked the door in and was quickly met by black smoke. The fire started at 1:15 PM and was just in that one apartment. Not even an hour later, the fire had spread to the apartments next to it. I literally threw my three cats out the patio door and DH got Bailey out. Me and the girls went to my Mothers house and waited anxiously for an update. The fire destroyed 10 apartments, and water and smoke damaged 20.
Luckily we were on the very bottom on the opposite end the fire started. The fire burned for four hours before they managed to put it out. 30 meters of the roof caved in and there is 1000's of liters of water throughout the building, again, ours wasn't affected. 5 people were injured with one in serious but stable condition. Three cats and one dog perished in the fire, there may be more but they're not saying yet.
Me, DH, the girls and Sebastian are at my Moms. Amadeus is still loose outside, Augustus is with a friend and Bailey is staying at a vet clinic. We don't have a home anymore, we can't go back. I thank god that I have such wonderful parents, they have done so much for us.
We need to find a rental fast, and unfortunately, finding one that will allow Bailey is proving to be rather difficult.
Please pray for us, we don't want to have to part with Bailey.
Here is a link to the video of the fire...
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/index.html
Scroll down until you see Surrey Apartment Fire
DH is the guy in the plaid jacket, glasses and hat - he was on almost every news channel because he stayed until the fire was put out making sure nobody broke into our apartment and took our stuff.
Here is a news report...
Fire 'devastating for so many people'
Three residents, two firefighters injured in 'very stubborn' apartment blaze
Glenda Luymes, The Province
Published: Thursday, December 28, 2006
SURREY - Five people, including two firefighters, were rushed to hospital yesterday after a Surrey apartment complex burst into flames.
Fire crews used ladders to rescue two men from a third-floor balcony and carried out an elderly woman trapped inside the burning building. All three residents suffered smoke inhalation. The two firefighters were injured by falling debris.
"It was a very stubborn fire," said Surrey deputy fire Chief John Caviglia. "Once it got into the void between the ceiling and the roof, it was tough to stop it."
More than 100 people from 65 suites were evacuated as the fire ripped through the two top floors of the wood apartment on Hall Road, near King George Highway and 72nd Avenue. More than 75 firefighters from Surrey and Delta responded to the call at 1:16 p.m.
Many residents, shocked and upset, were forced to spend last night with relatives, while emergency social services opened a nearby seniors' centre for people with nowhere to go.
Some residents may never return.
"It was right above my place. I don't know if there will be anything left," said Elaine Gray, clutching her dog Trissie in one hand and her purse in another. "This is all I have. I don't know what to do."
Gray said she was out on her patio yesterday afternoon when she heard the residents in the suite above her fighting.
"I heard something like broken glass and someone throwing things," she said.
Gray called the property manager, who told her there was a slight smell of smoke coming from the unit but no evidence of a fire.
An hour later, the apartment's fire alarm began to ring.
"I grabbed my dog and went out the back. I could see the flames coming from their patio door when I got out," she said.
While Gray was speaking, a friend came to take her to spend the night at her home. The familiar face was enough to make Gray burst into tears.
"I can't just believe it," she sobbed.
Caviglia said 30 suites were directly damaged by the fire -- 20 by smoke and water and 10 by fire.
Firefighters pulled down part of the ceiling to stop the flames from spreading farther, but expected to be on scene through the night to prevent flare-ups. While crowds of displaced residents gathered on the lawn outside the apartment, the ruined building, part of its roof completely gone, continued to smoke, with flames periodically bursting from the roof.
Melissa Neilson helped distribute hot chocolate and food from a nearby bingo hall to the tired, cold crowd. Although she was also evacuated, her suite is in a separate apartment building and is likely fine. Her eight-year-old daughter was one of the first people to see the blaze.
"She was playing at the playground and she saw smoke," said Nielson. "She came running to the house, telling me to call the fire department."
By the time Nielson did, the building was glowing with flames.
The fire alarm alerted Shawn and Natalie Townsend to the blaze. They live in the apartment building, but are hoping their suite was far enough from where the fire began to be safe.
"There's always false alarms here, so I went and checked it out first," said Shawn. "The door felt hot and when I opened it, there was nothing but smoke."
Natalie woke their young son, who was taking a nap, and the family fled.
"I'm devastated. I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm worried about the people that were injured," she said. "This is an old building -- I don't know if it was up to the proper fire code. I don't know if anything in the building is up to code."
Louise Fehr came home from work to find the building in flames -- and her dog Lilly still inside.
"I don't know what to do. I can't go inside. I just hope she's OK," she said.
Janice Welsh said she had heard three cats and one dog had been killed by the smoke.
"This is devastating for so many people. It's a terrible, terrible thing to happen," she said.
© The Vancouver Province 2006
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I know it is bad enough to have to fine alternate housing in such a hurry, but I am wondering if you've lost all of your furnishings and clothes as well! Please let us know and keep us updated!
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