An emergency evacuation centre is being established to help house nearly 100 residents displaced by a Chatham apartment fire.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said on Friday that the Canadian Red Cross has been contracted to establish the evacuation centre at the former St. Agnes School property on Croydon Street.
The municipality has already begun the transition process to move the residents impacted by the fire on August 25 at 99 McNaughton Avenue to the evacuation centre. Meals will also be provided to the residents.
“This is an extremely serious situation, and as always, our first priority is the wellbeing of our residents,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff in a news release. “I have been on-site with members from various Municipal teams as well as representatives from the Province. We are doing everything within our power to find stable housing for those displaced. We have dozens of Municipal staff and volunteers working on this around the clock… It is situations like this where we need our community to come together.”
Affected residents were updated on the situation during an in-person meeting with municipal staff and fire officials on Thursday. Some residents have also been permitted to briefly attend their units to retrieve personal belongings and medication.
Following multiple assessments at the McNaughton Avenue West property, the municipality said the building has been given an “Order to Remedy Unsafe Building,” which means it must be made safe through remediation and repair before occupancy can resume.
It is currently estimated that it will be at least several months before residents can move back into the building. An exact timeline will remain uncertain, however, until investigative work is completed to determine the scope of work required.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service also announced on Friday that an arrest had been made in connection with the fire. Authorities have also issued an arrest warrant for another suspect. Both face charges for arson with disregard for human life.
For information on how to assist those impacted by the fire, click here.
