The fire was found in the attic space above four apartments, and spread quickly, said Beacon Fire Chief Thomas Lucchesi. The Chief reached out to Captain Jesseyna Wiand of Beacon’s Salvation Army, requesting assistance to house the residents immediately displaced from their apartment units. Beacon’s Salvation Army church has a gym inside that they rent out to groups and individuals, and other spaces. “The Fire Chief called me to ask if it would be possible to use our building as a base for the Red Cross,” Captain Jesseyna told ALBB. “I knew I had the space and said absolutely. I met them at the church and begun clearing rooms. I canceled our senior program and basketball for the week.”
According to Captain Jesseyna, “There are 8 units that will not be able to go back home until around a year! A few others were affected by water/smoke/ or holes put in walls/ceilings to ensure the fire was completely out. The other units in that section cannot go home quite yet because water/gas/electric has been shut off. The Salvation Army provided shelter for those with no where to go and acted as a base where people could come to receive services and ask questions.”
The Red Cross assisted by taking information from the residents to provide small immediate financial assistance, and recommendations for therapists for the trauma incurred. Trina and Amila received $640.
Captain Jesseyna expanded to ALBB: “The Red Cross was able to provide some limited funding to those who lost everything. Their intake is finished, and now comes the long haul part. The residents effected have agreed to have their information shared with partner agencies, so in the coming days, I’ll be receiving information for all of those effected. From there we can determine what sort of help is needed and then how we can help.”
Captain Jesseyna has also been on the receiving end of those looking to donate clothing and other things. “Community members have begun reaching out to see how they could help so that is helpful! I know some lost everything and have nothing but the clothes on their backs. Eventually, I’d like to set up a receiving station for people to drop off new or cleaned, gently used clothes for people to go through. Once I am able to get in contact with those affected, I’ll be better suited to ask for the best help.”
Trina and Amila lost all of their clothes, and did purchase sweatsuits at Walmart. They also lost all four of their wedding outfits, and their crowns, which in their Hindu faith, deems the crowns unusable in a house fire. The white crowns are in the second photo below. Finding rent, new security deposits, and broker fees for their new apartment search has been challenging. Not to mention the furniture they no longer have. They did not have renters insurance.