Thief steals from Surrey apartment evacuated in fire

Evacuees from this week’s massive apartment fire in Surrey have one more thing to worry about: theft.

Kayla Koett said on Wednesday, she and her family ran from their ground-floor unit when the fire broke out. They returned home, only to discover someone had forced their way inside and stolen from the family.

“We noticed that a whole bunch of stuff was missing and then found out that they had actually booted down the bars on our window and entered through there,” Koett told Global News on Thursday.

The incident has been reported to police. Among the items stolen: designer bags, wallets, keys and a cell phone.

It’s still not clear if anyone else in the complex has also been a victim of theft.

Meanwhile, many of Wednesday’s evacuees are trying to get their lives back on track, following Wednesday’s fire. Close to 70 people have been displaced.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

WATCH: Residents of a Surrey apartment were trapped inside their units when the fire tore through the building. Grace Ke reports.

The emergency reception centre set up at the Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre is still receiving victims, though staff say they’ll be shutting down come Saturday.

For now, residents say restoration crews are trying to retrieve what they can from the units where there’s only smoke and water damage.

Koett is hoping her neighbours won’t have to deal with the same awful surprise she did when they finally return home.

“I just can’t believe that someone took advantage of a situation like this,” she said. “It’s just sad.”