Residents forced out of their homes after a fire at a London, Ont., public housing building have now largely returned, as cleanup efforts wrap up and longer-term repairs begin.
A spokesperson for London & Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH), which manages the building, said all but about four tenants displaced by the fire at 241 Simcoe St. have now moved back into 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 broke out early Saturday morning on the sixth floor of the 12-storey building, sending nine people to hospital and forcing the evacuation of about 20 units.
Senechal said LMCH staff and contractors worked throughout the week to make units livable again, focusing largely on cleanup.
“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 the 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, the apartment where the fire started will require extensive repairs and remain uninhabitable for months, Senechal said.
Some residents still displaced
With most residents back home, it's unclear where the four tenants who have not yet returned are, and whether they're part of the group of nine people taken to hospital following 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.”
Earlier reports indicated some residents were taken to hospital in critical condition following the fire, though no recent updates on their status have been provided due to privacy rules.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal and London Fire Department.
Damage was initially estimated at around $300,000, though Senechal said final costs are still being assessed and may come in lower.
He said LMCH will conduct an internal review following the incident.
“We’ll look at what worked well and what we need to improve upon when it comes to fire safety,” he said, noting regular inspections and tenant education are already in place.
Senechal said the tenant from that unit will likely be relocated, potentially into another available unit in the building once investigations are complete.
Despite the disruption, he said, many tenants have expressed appreciation for the support they received while displaced.
“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.”