Mary Ellen Duncan heard a loud bang, then saw smoke billowing from the townhouse across from hers.
She watched in horror as firefighters struggled to stop the flames from spreading to other units at the Limberlost Road complex in London.
When firefighters finally doused the blaze, nearly nine hours later, eight units were damaged, the fire displacing more than a dozen people in the northwest London complex just a week before Thanksgiving.
It was those people — a young couple with a baby, a family who immigrated from India, several post-secondary students — who were on Duncan’s mind as she watched the destruction, pegged at $1.5 million by officials.
“You feel sick for the families,” Duncan, who’s lived at the complex for 15 years, said Sunday.
“We’re all in shock.”
The cause of the late Saturday-morning blaze remained under investigation Sunday, with fundraising kicking into gear to help those forced to leave their units.
Many residents fled with just the clothing on their backs, some clutching frightened children and pets.
No one was hurt, but a row of eight units near where the fire began had to be evacuated.
Over the weekend, some of the displaced residents were trying to put their lives back together at the Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre, where the Red Cross set up an emergency shelter and dispensed food and toiletries.
Sunday night, those tenants had left but it wasn’t immediately clear when they’d be allowed to return to their units.
A family member of one couple burned out of their home began a Facebook group Sunday, asking for support for the couple. The appeal is with a link to a gofundme page, Fire Tragedy Fundraiser.
“We are raising money for an unfortunate family who just lost everything to a fire that was started in a neighbours’ townhouse. They are a young couple with a new baby, and a pile of school loans,” said the post from Cassandra Graham.
“Sadly, they did not have insurance, and were only able to get themselves out in time. All of their, belongings, school text books, clothing, food and tragically their cat was trapped inside. Now they have no where to go with a new baby, and need all the help we can give them. Please help this hard-working, young family who have lost everything they have in this world.”
Emergency workers were called to the fire at 1460 Limberlost Rd. around 11 a.m. Saturday. Strong winds helped spread the fire.
“It was a very stubborn fire. Obviously, we had challenges,” said fire prevention inspector Jack Burt.
Smoke filled the complex, located just south of Gainsborough Road, while a crowd of nearly 100 onlookers took photographs and video with cellphones.
Debris from the blaze was spotted one block away on Fairfax Place.
On Sunday, Duncan and London West MPP Peggy Sattler took up a collection for the residents at the London Convention Centre, during a regional federal election campaign rally by NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, taking in $1,721.Ellen’s Children’s Shoes at 1225 Wonderland Rd. is also collecting donations to help the families in need.
Officials from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office were at the housing complex Sunday.
