Dozens displaced by Coquitlam fire rally, angry they don’t have access to their belongings

Frustration is growing among the dozens of people who were displaced by an apartment fire in Coquitlam earlier this month.

The blazes broke out at the building near Gatensbury Street and Howie Avenue in the early morning hours of March 7. The flames left some units damaged by fire, smoke, and water. 

Residents who have since been displaced gathered outside the building Wednesday afternoon to rally, angry they haven’t been allowed back into their units — not even to get their most basic belongings.

“It’s been very stressful, it’s been hard to sleep. Just one stressful situation after another,” resident Werner Marcus told CityNews.

“There’s a lot of people who were affected by this; they can see their stuff through the window and everything is fine, but the building management or the city is saying the building is unsafe to enter and we won’t be able to retrieve our belongings, ever,” he continued.

In a statement to CityNews, the City of Coquitlam said about 75 per cent of building occupants were able to return home on Sunday, March 17, but 24 units cannot be reoccupied because a structural engineer – employed by the building owner – deemed them unsafe.

The city added that access to the building is determined by the building owner and their agents and they have advised the city that the portion of the building where the 24 units are cannot be safely accessed.

“I personally have assets that are very valuable to me, like I was 6 years old when my dad passed away and I have his watch, his ring, stuff like that and we didn’t put it in a locker, we just left it at home and now we’re gonna lose it all,” building resident Zain Hashimi explained.

“The way I see it, they’re going for the cheapest way for them so they can save money and just demolish everything we own.”

The city explained the province’s emergency support services, which include hotel accommodations and meals, have been available to those who can’t return home. Those supports were extended until March 27, when it will end unless another extension is granted.

“We just want our stuff. If we have to go live somewhere else, fine, we just want our stuff … we just want a chance to be able to access and get out so we can go on with lives and not be completely destitute, you know what I’m saying,” Marcus said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.