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
Child under 5 dies of measles in Ontario: PHO
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
French police fatally shoot a man suspected of setting fire to a synagogue
French police shot and killed a man armed with a knife and a metal bar who is suspected of having set fire to a synagogue in the Normandy city of Rouen early on Friday, the latest apparent act in a storm of antisemitism roiling France amid the Israel-Hamas war.