Residents displaced by New West apartment fire are left to figure out next steps
Posted July 14, 2026 10:54 am.
Last Updated July 14, 2026 11:27 am.
Wreckage and debris are all that remain of Pinecrest Manor, a New Westminster apartment building that was hit by a devastating fire Friday.
Former residents tell CityNews that on the day of the fire, water had been shut off to the 58-year-old wood-framed building for planned maintenance work.
New West Fire and Rescue says the shut-off would not have affected the outcome, since the building’s only sprinklers were in the parkade.
Officials say there were no recent fire code violations in the building, adding that the investigation into the fire is ongoing.
At this early stage, nothing has stood out as suspicious.
In the time since, the approximately 100 residents who have been permanently displaced from the building have been at a loss, with their life’s possessions gone up in smoke while many were at work.
Ma Nerissa Pastiteo is a single mom of four. She says she doesn’t know how long it’s going to take her family to recover, either emotionally or financially.
“When I look at my place burning, I want to run and fly and grab something, and especially my cats, and until now, I cannot recover my cats, whether they are gone or not… until now, we are grieving, for everything,” she said.
“It’s hard, because that place has lots of memories, and everything, my papers, gold, and I have lots of valuable, valuable things that I cannot buy immediately.”
But Pastiteo says the support from the New West community has been her saving grace.
The city’s emergency support services are helping to get people into hotels while they look for longer-term housing. At nearby Lord Kelvin Elementary, volunteers with the New West Neighbourhood House have been so inundated with clothing donations that they’ve had to ask people to stop bringing them in. They’re now asking instead for monetary donations via cash or e-transfer, or gift cards for staples like food.
A GoFundMe campaign has also raised a significant sum for those who have been displaced.
However, even with the incredible generosity, evacuees face an uncertain future.
“I don’t know what’s next, so hopefully, God willing, we can find a place for my family and have everything settle.”
Another 50 residents who were displaced from a neighbouring apartment building due to water and smoke damage are expected to be allowed to return, but there’s no timeline for that just yet.
