Vancouver apartment fire victims have precious belongings stolen

Several Vancouverites who were forced from their homes after a New Year’s Eve apartment fire are now facing even more bad news.

Tenants of a three-storey building on Barclay Street that burned up on Dec. 31, leaving at least 30 people out in the cold, learned that some units in the fire-damaged building were robbed. The thefts happened despite assurances that security would be present outside the building.

“Many people’s personal belongings have been stolen, some laptops, some sentimental jewelry, passports,” resident Janine Sakai said.

Sakai said her great-grandmother’s ring was stolen.

“It’s been hard,” she said. “On top of everything, you don’t want to have your things rifled through and stolen.”

Emergency services told Sakai and other tenants that an arrest has been made and some possessions have been recovered, at a meeting on Wednesday night.

Still, Sakai said too many unanswered questions remain.

“I want to know how it is that there was a break-in in the first place … I’m confused as to how anyone got in there,” Sakai said.

The building’s landlord had no comment when contacted by Global News.

About half of the building’s residents hope to return home in the coming weeks while others will be displaced long-term.

Sakai said most tenants in the building did not have insurance.

– With files from Catherine Urquhart