Tenants who lost everything in Abbotsford fire overwhelmed by support, frustrated by housing search

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) — Residents displaced by a devastating Abbotsford apartment fire nearly a week ago are struggling to find new homes, but they are deeply moved by the generosity of everyone pitching in to help.

The fire tore through a 57-unit building on Delair Road in the early hours of Valentine’s Day. The entire third floor was destroyed, and the rest of the building left uninhabitable duye to smoke and water damage. A second building also had to be evacuated, although it looks like those people will be able to return.

With more than 100 families now looking for somewhere to live, the hunt for housing is daunting.

RELATED: Abbotsford apartment fire displaces dozens, destroys building

Dustin Wolck, his fiance, and their two daughters are sharing a single bedroom at a family member’s home. They don’t know how long they will be able to stay, or where they will go when they have to leave.

“Basically, immediately every two-bedroom apartment, place to stay got scooped up and we have seen the price point of the rental opportunities that are remaining just skyrocket. It’s like downtown Vancouver pricing far out and Abbotsford,” he says.

“It was it was tight before these this 100 familes got displaced and now it’s near impossible or a family of four.”

Firefighters rescued a number of animals from the building, and Wolck says having three pets limits the family’s options even further.

“We’re gonna have to find something relatively quickly. But it may not be in Abbotsford anymore, we may have to go even further out to try to find something that meets our budget and our needs,” he says.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family, one of more than 20 that went online shortly after the fire.

Wolck says he was raised to be self-sufficient, and accepting help wasn’t easy at first. But knowing his fiancee won’t have to drop out of school, and his girls will be able to get what they need helps.

And that helps boost the family’s spirits even though they have lost everything.

“Even though we’ve lost everything all around us. We’re focusing on just staying positive at the fact that we’re together, we’re healthy. These are just things and things can be replaced, although keepsakes and things that have sentimental value are gone. Hopefully, in time we’ll be able to build new memories and have new keepsakes,” he says.

Wolck has shed a lot of tears since the fire, but not necessarily over the loss of his home and possessions.

“Seeing the generosity of people — strangers, and friends, and coworkers — it honestly brings me to tears almost on a daily basis, knowing that I have nothing and seeing this contribution, knowing that my family is going to be okay.”

Jan McAusland cries every time she looks at the GoFundMe set up by her niece.

“I look at some of the names and there are family, friends, and people I haven’t been in contact for years. The fact that they’ve come forward and donated to this fund is just overwhelming,” she says.

RELATED: Abbotsford fire fundraisers help displaced families in time of need

She grabbed nothing but her purse before leaving her second-floor unit after the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night.

Her second-floor suite wasn’t destroyed by the fire itself, but she won’t ever be able to go back because she says the building is going to be demolished.

“There’s water all over the floor, and of course, the ceilings are dripping. You can’t take any of your clothes or anything fabric because it just reeks of chemicals and smoke, so all of that is gone most of the furniture is destroyed,” she explains.

On the night of the fire, and in the hours the residents spent in a nearby church afterward she worried for families like Wolck’s.

“There’s several families in that apartment building that have little children, and they literally grabbed their children out of bed in their pyjamas, wrapped them in a blanket, and fled the building,” she says.

“It’s awful. It’s bad enough as an adult to be displaced. I can’t imagine trying to explain to the kids how you just don’t have anything anymore.”

McAusland has a hotel room paid for by the Salvation Army until Sunday, after that she can pay to extend her stay.

“That possibility is there. So I know that we’re not going to be hopefully living on the street.”

She’s also noticed a lack of affordable options in the city.

“I know everybody wants the most bang for their buck, if they could just drop their rents a bit or open up their suites that they have to the people that really need it right now, that would be wonderful.”