by Michael Mata
Around 101 people were left homeless by a massive fire which gutted the top floor and roof of the Celeste apartment complex at 121 A Street and 82 Avenue in Surrey, British Columbia.
The flames were first noticed at around 10:30 pm on August 20. Some residents believe that partiers who were using a barbecue on the second floor were responsible for the fire. However, Surrey’s assistant fire chief Brian Woznikoski said that a fire investigator has ruled out the barbecue party as the cause of the blaze.
The Celeste apartment complex has a large number of senior citizens, and many of the residents have young children and pets. Fortunately, no one was injured in the four-alarm blaze, though many of the residents have lost their possessions and pets.
Kory Campbell, who was uninsured and lives on the top floor with his wife and five-month old baby, said he’d lost everything. “The shower gifts, pictures, it is all gone.”
Once he was able to evacuate his family from the building, Campbell watched from the roadside as the fire moved swiftly from floor to floor. “They might have to tear the building down,” he said.
Surrey RCMP moved quickly to evacuate the building and extinguish the flames, which reached 20 feet at their highest point. RCMP also evacuated the building beside the Celeste, breaking down the doors of residents who did not respond to emergency calls. “It was a major concern to get everyone out of our building,” said David Cowie, the president of the strata council in the building beside the Celeste.
According to Surrey councilor Bruce Hayne, 101 residents from the Celeste apartment complex have registered at the emergency centre at the Newton Senior’s Centre. Funding from the provincial emergency program will pay for short term stays at hotel rooms for those who need temporary lodgings.
Unfortunate events like these highlight the need for renters’ insurance on more rental properties.
