The residents of a Richmond, B.C., apartment building that caught fire on Saturday have been told they won't be going home any time soon – and that the entire complex, including units that weren't damaged in the fire, may be demolished.
Dozens of displaced residents met with city workers on Sunday morning, who told them there's a chance the building suffered irreparable structural damage in the blaze.
"There's noticeable buckling on some of the walls, you can see it from the outside," City of Richmond spokesman Ted Townsend said.
"How serious that is, and what steps will need to be taken to make the building habitable again, will be determined in the coming days."
Even occupants of undamaged units were told they can't enter the building to get personal belongings yet. In the meantime, firefighters will retrieve essential items, such as insurance documents, passports and medication.
The fire started at around 1:45 a.m. inside the 36-unit apartment, located in the 8500-block of Westminster Highway, quickly spreading throughout the structure and forcing the evacuation of two neighbouring buildings.
One person, whose name has not been released, was killed in the fire. About a dozen others sustained minor injuries, including smoke inhalation and minor burns.
The cause has still not been determined. Townsend said investigators are getting their first good look at the physical evidence on Sunday.
"The severity of the damage restricted our ability to get into the building, so today is really the first extensive opportunity for investigators," he said.
Alternative housing found
Residents of the adjoining buildings have been told they can return home.
The rest of the displaced residents will have free accommodations for one more night under the Provincial Emergency Plan. After that, they will be forced to find their own short or long-term housing.
The property owner has located enough suites in other buildings to house all of the victims, and several charitable organizations have offered assistance to help the uninsured replace their belongings.
It will be days before they learn the fate of their homes on Westminster Highway.
"Engineers will establish the damage fairly quickly, then it's up to the insurance company whether they're going to repair or not. That's usually made fairly quickly, I would expect within the next two or three days," Townsend said.
Townsend thanked the volunteers from Richmond's Emergency Social Services Program, who have been working since the fire began taking care of victims and keeping them in touch with various relief groups.
