“Everything is gone”: Tenants come to grips with damages from apartment fire

REGINA – Many residents left homeless after a fire tore through a south side apartment complex are struggling to cope with the extent of the damage.

Jawwad Iqbl is among those displaced from the 23 unit building in the 3000 block of Parliament Avenue.

He said he’s in disbelief that everything he owns is now destroyed and buried under mounds of ice and debris.

“Everything is gone, my laptop, everything.  I have only this shirt,” he explained Saturday, observing the damage of the building.

The fire was the first of two that kept crews busy Friday afternoon and well into the evening.

Fire crews are still investigating the cause of both blazes but said they both started in the kitchen.

The blaze along Parliament Avenue was so fierce crews were forced to take a defensive position and let the building burn in a controlled manner.

Deputy of operations with the Regina Fire Services, Gerard Kay said crews are now waiting for a break in the weather to investigate, as heavy ice is threatening to cause the building to collapse.

“If we determine it’s safe to get into, then we’ll do one person at a time and gather their goods. But if it’s not too safe, well there’s not much we can do,” he explained about whether or not residents will be allowed back in the building.

The Canadian Red Cross said a majority of those displaced are new Canadians and that some are not aware of the resources made available to them in the city during such a crisis.

“We have helped 44 individuals, 10 of which we helped today (Saturday) with food, clothing, and shelter,” said Saskatchewan operation manager, Rebecca Benko.

Boardwalk Rental Communities said they are working to find residents new suites, but add a handful of the 23 units were not insured by the tenant.

Meantime, the community is rallying together by collecting donations for those impacted by the fires.

Josie Swanson is coordinating the efforts and said it’s just a small gesture for those left with little to nothing.

“It’s just to show families there’s still hope,” she said.  “Just to instill a little hope for people who have tragedies.”

You can find details or contribute to the group’s efforts here.