Residents briefly allowed back in their homes after fire gutted Dorval apartment building
Residents went back to what was left of their homes Monday after a fire destroyed part of a Dorval apartment building last weekend.
They each had only 10 minutes to salvage what they could.
For Stephen Porter and April Mansfield, it was the first time they saw the damage from the fire since they left it in a panic on Saturday.
"OK, well, I can't get to my documents. I don't even think there is anything salvageable here," said Mansfield, surveying what was left of her home.
Porter said the sight left him feeling "overwhelmed."
"I think [I'm] just devastated and shocked," Mansfield said, "because a lot of people on the lower floors can salvage quite a bit, but us, it was just — there was nothing left. It was just char and ash and sludge."
Firefighters observe the damage from a fire that burned down homes in a Dorval apartment building. (Amanda Kline/CTV News)
Two by two, in 10-minute intervals, dozens of residents tried to grab what they could. For many who lived on the third floor, it came with the realization that they will likely never be back.
"[I'm] devastated," said Julianna Mason. "I grew up here. This is the place where I went when I first came to Canada. So, you know, all my stuff, everything from my country, all the things from when I was a baby. Everything's there."
Mason is one of almost 50 people, including 12 children, currently living in temporary housing for three days through the Canadian Red Cross' emergency response plan.
"We are working, as well as the Red Cross, in finding temporary housing for people. We are going to find out shortly in the next few days whether or not the building can be rebuilt," said Dorval Mayor Marc Doret.
"That would be the best-case scenario."
It's still not clear what caused the 4-alarm fire, which started on the balcony of one of the third-floor apartments and spread quickly. Many residents say they never heard an alarm.
"Thank God people realized because this building was never aware. The alarm was not sounding here in none of the apartments," Mason said.
The City of Dorval is collecting donations for essential items like toilet paper and toothpaste for now.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
DEVELOPING Republican National Committee in Washington evacuated after blood vials received in package
The headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police said.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Interpol says more than 1,500 stolen Canadian vehicles identified since February
Interpol says more than 200 stolen Canadian vehicles have been found each week across the globe since February.
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
opinion Biden steals debate issue from Trump campaign, makes it his own
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
'All hell broke loose': Passengers on Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet
Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence on Tuesday described a sudden, dramatic drop as 'all hell broke loose' on board the Boeing airliner carrying 229 passengers and crew.