A community effort is underway to collect everything needed to rebuild a life after a group of London tenants were left homeless in a fatal fire in south London.
As many as six people were living in a converted century-old home at 33 Becher Street, near Wharncliffe Road South and Horton Street East, when it was gutted Saturday night by a blaze fire crews struggled to extinguish.
A male tenant, whom neighbours have identified as Jeremy Carson, died in the fire, as did a cat belonging to another couple.
All of the tenants are now homeless, many escaping with only the clothes they were wearing. For Michael Norwood, it was only a pair of underwear and socks.
He spent Monday at Service Ontario trying to get his identification cards re-issued so that he could access his bank accounts as his wallet was lost in the rubble.
“I got up to brush my teeth and when I walked into the hallway, it was like walking into a wall of smoke. I couldn’t see through it,” Norwood said, describing the night of the fire.
“I got out into the hall, someone handed me a fire extinguisher, I stepped on a hot piece of glass. I was calling to Jeremy but I think he was gone,” he said.
The roof collapsed into Norwood’s unit, and like most of the other tenants, his personal items like his wallet, cellphone and computers were lost or damaged.
The fire marshal and police were on the scene Monday looking into the cause of the fire at 33 Becher Street, in south London. (Arfa Rana/ CBC News)
The Ontario Fire Marshal has not yet determined the cause of the fire but estimates the damage is $1.5 million, with the fate of the building still unknown. Those who gathered on the street to watch the building burn all commented on how quickly it spread.
“I looked out the window, and there were flames coming out the back window. And by the time I got dressed and got out the door, the whole building was on fire,” said Laura Janssens who lives on neighbouring Horton Street.
She’s part of a group that’s working through social media to collect items for the tenants, including leads on new rental units.
“I saw on Facebook, two different GoFundMe accounts, and I suggested we centralize it. So we’ve started the Becher Strong account. The response has been great,” Janssens said, noting that the Wortley Auto Service is acting as a central drop off point.
Wortley Auto Service is acting as a central drop off point for donations for tenants who lost their belongings in the fire on Becher Street in London. (Amanda Margison/CBC)
Another neighbour is planning an open house later this week for people looking to talk and to grieve.
Many of the tenants did not have insurance, and most were paying rent that was far below market rates, including one person who told CBC News their rent had recently increased to $640.
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen again,” said Norwood, who was able to move in with his parents. Other tenants are staying in hotels. “There’s some geared-to-income housing that’s most likely going to be around $850, but that’s only if you can get a place.”
- Hear how to help Tuesday at 8:10 a.m. on London Morning, live on the CBC Listen app or at 93.5 FM
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/tenants-left-with-nothing-after-fire-get-help-from-neighbours-organizing-relief-efforts-1.7140547
