Residents who were evacuated from their homes due to a fire in a public housing building in London, Ont., have mostly returned as cleanup efforts conclude and longer-term repairs start.
A representative from London & Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH), which oversees the building, mentioned that nearly all but four tenants displaced by the fire at 241 Simcoe St. have returned to their units as of Thursday morning.
“The tenants who are returning are all from the sixth floor, where they were impacted with smoke damage,” said Matt Senechal, communications manager at LMCH.
The fire erupted early Saturday morning on the sixth floor of the 12-storey structure, sending nine individuals to hospital and leading to the evacuation of approximately 20 units.
Senechal noted that LMCH staff and contractors worked throughout the week to make apartments livable again, focusing primarily on cleaning up.
“Over the last five days, staff and vendors have been on site, and there’s been a lot of mainly cleaning being done. There was a lot of soot that gets on the walls, so there’s been new paint in the common areas and cleaning in all of the impacted units as well.”
While most units have been cleaned and reoccupied, Senechal stated that the apartment where the fire originated will need significant repairs and will be uninhabitable for months.
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Firefighters say an investigation is underway to determine what caused the blaze at 241 Simcoe Street Saturday morning. (London Fire Department)
Earlier reports indicated some residents were hospitalized in critical condition following the incident; however, no recent updates on their status have been shared due to privacy regulations.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by both the Office of Ontario Fire Marshal and London Fire Department.
The initial estimate for damages was around $300,000; however, Senechal mentioned that final costs are still being assessed and may end up being lower.
He added that LMCH will conduct an internal review after this event.
“We’ll look at what worked well and what we need to improve upon when it comes to fire safety,” he said while noting that regular inspections and tenant education are already established practices.
Senechal indicated that likely relocation options will be available for tenants from that unit into another available unit in the building once investigations wrap up.
Despite this disruption, he noted that many tenants expressed gratitude for how they were supported during their displacement period.
“A lot of tenants have thanked us for staying in contact with them, providing updates and making sure their needs were met. Everyone coming back seems grateful to be home.”
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Some residents still displaced
With many residents back home now, it’s uncertain where those four tenants who haven’t returned are located or if they’re among those nine people taken to hospital after the fire. “We don’t have that information,” Senechal said. “They could just be out of town or still staying with friends, or they could be in the hospital.”Source link
