By Owen Boss
Staff Writer
NORTHAMPTON - Fire officials believe the fire that destroyed a building at Meadowbrook Apartments, putting 22 people out of their homes Monday, was likely caused by carelessly discarded smoking materials -- the latest in a string of major fires in the city with the same cause.
Meanwhile, residents who lost their homes in Monday's fire at Meadowbrook Apartments consoled each other Tuesday while trying to find out if they would be allowed back inside to collect what remains inside their charred apartments.
The Campbell family sat crying and hugging their beloved dachshund, Boo, who was trapped inside their basement apartment in Building 21 for more than an hour before being rescued by firefighters.
John and Lisa Campbell had been living in the handicapped-accessible section on the first floor for about a year with Lisa's mother, who was quickly transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
John Campbell said the family was temporarily relocated to the Clarion Hotel in Northampton and Lisa's mother, who requires oxygen 24 hours a day, is now staying at the Hampshire Care in Leeds.
"We stayed at a hotel last night, and that is where management said we are going to be until further notice," John Campbell said. "It is hard to find somewhere for us because (Lisa) is disabled, I'm disabled and her mother needs attention 24 hours a day."
Also surveying the fire-damaged building was third-floor tenant of five years Miguel Candelaria, who said he was among the first people to actually see the fire during its early stages inside a bedroom in apartment 2121.
Fire investigators believe apartment 2121 was where the fire originated. Meadowbrook resident Leslea Duggan lived there.
Candelaria said he holds little hope for salvaging much of anything from the apartment he lived in with his wife and 10-year-old daughter, but he would like to be allowed inside to see if his computer's hard drive is still intact.
"I saw firefighters walking around up there with flashlights last night and that means that we can get inside if we really needed to," Candelaria said. "I just want to get in there to see if my hard drive is completely ruined or not. I have a lot of personal information on there, not to mention irreplaceable things like pictures of my kids on Christmas morning."
Linda Pinard, who had been living on the second floor of the building for about a year, said she wished she had signed up for renters insurance, but didn't because she never thought she would need it.
"The next apartment I get will definitely have renters insurance," Pinard said. "You just don't think that something like this is going to happen to you until it happens. I really never ever even thought about it."
According to Building Commissioner Anthony Patillo, tenants of the building will be allowed back inside when it is deemed structurally safe, and management will then allow one person from each apartment back inside for a 15-minute survey of the damage.
"The top floor of the building is totally gone, but there may be some things that can be salvaged from the first and second floor," Patillo said. "Management is going to work out with the tenants a schedule to get at least one representative from each apartment inside to see if there is anything in there that they can salvage."
Alexandra M. Dailey, asset manager for Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc., the company that owns the complex, said that management is trying its hardest to find permanent housing for displaced residents within other units on the property.
"That is something that we are still working on," Dailey said. "We still have to see whether or not we have units that are the right size to house some of these families."
The afternoon fire, which displaced 22 tenants of 12 units, has sent a shock wave through the surrounding community and has tenants of other buildings looking to get renters insurance and asking management for stricter regulations regarding fire safety.
Heather Weeks, who has lived on the top floor of Building 4 at the complex for about a year, said seeing how quickly the fire tore through the building made her think about what would have happened if she had lived there.
"It was really terrifying because I have three children already and one more that is coming in about a month, and we live all the way up on the top floor of our building," Weeks said. "If something like this would have happened to me, it could have been terrible."
Weeks said some tenants have been asking management to prohibit smoking inside apartments, something she said makes living in one of the complex's buildings unnecessarily dangerous.
"They have signs up that say no smoking in the hallways, but it really is a problem when people always smoke right in their apartments," Weeks said.
Two other major fires in the city last year - a two-family home demolished on Wright Avenue April 22 and a Shepherds Hollow home destroyed in Leeds April 24 - were caused by cigarettes.
Injured firefighter
Only one person was hurt during the fire.
Easthampton Fire Capt. Steven Kennedy, injured when a piece of the building's roof fell 10 feet onto his head while he was working his way through a second-floor stairwell, was treated and released from the hospital Monday.
Easthampton Fire Chief David Mottor said that after suffering the injury, Kennedy briefly lost consciousness and seemed confused as other firefighters helped him from the burning building. Kennedy was taken for treatment to Baystate Medical Center.
"He was wearing his helmet and it did its job," Mottor said. Mottor added that Kennedy will miss at least two days of work while he recovers from the head injury.
Outpouring of community support
The American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter Disaster Action Team responded to the apartment complex with a mobile medical van Monday night, providing food, clothing and other assistance.
Joe's Cafe Spaghetti and Pizza House on Market Street provided free dinner of pizza and grinders.
Nancy Duseau, a Northampton resident and Red Cross volunteer, said she quickly called the restaurant's owners when she heard that there were people who were losing their homes.
"I called one of the owners at home, and his wife answered the phone and when I asked if they would be interested in putting an order together to help the victims she said absolutely," Duseau said. "It was really amazing. One of the owners rushed in from Hadley and they had everything ready in an hour."
Students at the R.K. Finn Ryan Road School are planning a food, blanket and clothing drive to support the victims of the fire.
Salvation Army Service Center coordinator Iris Rosa said anyone interested in contributing items can bring them to the school and those looking to send in a monetary donation can send it to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 188, Northampton, MA 01061 and should label the mail "Meadowbrook victims."
Paige Thayer, a Red Cross volunteer, said the Red Cross can only accept monetary donations. Clothing and furniture drives are left to community groups. Donations to the chapter's relief efforts for local disasters can be mailed to The American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter, 506 Cottage St., Springfield, MA 01104; or donate online at www.redcrosspioneervalley.org.
Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.
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