New mother details escape, launches fundraising campaign after Vancouver fire
Posted October 9, 2018 10:33 am.
Last Updated October 9, 2018 11:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Stories of a desperate escape amid thick smoke are being shared, following last week’s four-alarm fire at a packed Downtown Vancouver apartment building. A new mother is behind a GoFundMe campaign for those who have been forced from their homes.
The West End building has been deemed inhabitable due to Thursday’s fire, the exact cause of which is still under investigation.
Flames broke out on the fourth floor. Alexis Meledy left with her seven-month-old son, one diaper — and nothing else.
“I grabbed him, flipped on my shoes — I was in my pajama — and raced out of the building. As I was racing out, our building manager was going floor to floor, yelling for people to get out. It wasn’t a false alarm.”
She stood outside, watching as flames spread up from the fourth floor to the fifth.
“You always wonder what you’re going to grab in a fire. It turns out, all that I wanted to grab was my son and one diaper that happened to be sitting by the front door.”
RELATED: Firefighter hurt battling four-alarm blaze in Downtown Vancouver
As a new mother, she was terrified. She was also very worried about her neighbours.
“We have a lot of friends in the building. A lot of them are on the upper level and have pets. One of our friends, they have a little puppy. They live on the fourth floor, and I couldn’t see them. Just knowing there were potentially people and a lot of animals inside… huge fear, worrying about our neighbours.”
It took dozens of firefighters to put out the four-alarm blaze.
Her suite has extensive smoke damage, while others have both smoke and water damage. “I saw some images from someone on the fifth floor whose unit is completely unrecognizable. Everything has been lost.”
WATCH: Firefighters battled a four-alarm blaze in Vancouver’s West End on Thursday
Meledy adds she has insurance, but she’s worried about others who don’t.
“There are a lot of tenants in the building who don’t have insurance. The cost of cleaning items or moving are going to be financially devastating.”
She asked for help online and people have donated a few items to help her out.
“Tenants from other buildings nearby brought over coffee and doughnuts for all the residents who had been evacuated,” she added.
In addition to the GoFundMe effort, you can email thurlowstreetfirerelief@gmail.com to can reach out, if you would like to help.
The fire has been deemed an accident, but investigators still don’t know how it started.
“The Fire Investigator is in the final stages of determining the exact ignition source,” said Vancouver Fire Captain Jonathan Gormick.
A firefighter was hurt in the blaze, but details of their injuries were not shared.
“The injured firefighter has been released from hospital and is resting at home,” said Gormick.
