Fire Victims Given Three Days to Vacate Plaza Village

Many of the victims of a that burned through three apartment units in Plaza Village last week are still without homes, and the group, made up of mostly young, low-income families, has been given three days to remove their belongings from the building so repairs can begin. 

Although most of their apartments were not damaged by the fire itself, 32 children and 24 adults were evacuated last week, and told they would not be able to return for six months.

To repair the building, owned by Ferland Property Management, all water and electricity must be shut down. The incident has left the families, including 12 kids who attend without shelter, scattered at relative's home from Woonsocket to Douglas, and bewildered by the prospect of moving in just days.

Although 11 of the families have reportedly been placed in other units managed by Ferland, the remaining group has been handed back their security deposits and told that their leases are absolved. Those still without shelter have been told the decision to rent the units has been made by seniority.

"I've been here almost ten years and I haven't received a call," said Luis Valentin, a mother with two kids at Leo Savoie.

"I really was not touched," said Michelle Fraser, a five-year resident who renewed her lease in September. "I live on the other side of the building. Some of us lost everything."

The tenants have been told they can remove their remaining property between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on business days. On Saturday and Sunday, staff will not be there to let them in. Kids are not allowed in the building, deemed unsafe by city inspectors, so someone must stay outside to watch the children, a task which many of the long-time neighbors and friends have shared.

On Thursday, property managers told the group the work had to stop at 2 p.m. The building, if not its former occupants, had to be secured and protected from the afternoon's cold, wet weather.

"When I moved in it was a day just like this," said Jessica Audette, the mother of three of the boys who attend the elementary school. "It wasn't a problem."

Audette said she lost most of her belongings in the blaze, but was there Thursday helping her friends and neighbors, who were struggling to complete the move in time. "On a personal level, I've never had issues with management. They've always been willing to work with me but now they're just hanging us out to dry." 

"They told me at 12:00 today," said Ryan Cullen, who was packing up the apartment he shares with his girlfriend and their one-year-old daughter, while the girlfriend was away at work. 

The group has banded together and through the tragedy as, according to the victims, their small community always has. 15 families went together to City Hall on Friday seeking assistance.

"If the kids knew how to use the keys, they'd have them to all of the apartments," laughed Audette. "Most people have been incredibly sympathetic and understanding."

has donated space for the families, and Feinstein Jr. Scholars and members of the Leo A. Savoie PTA have collected over 100 bags of clothing, $950 in gift cards, and 500 food items for the victims in just four days. Each family will also be getting a turkey basket donated to them by Congressman David Cicilline. The donations will be handed out this Saturday.

The Woonsocket Housing Authority is giving the victims top priority, but Executive Director Robert Kulik said there are few affordable housing units available.

"People are usually on the list for two or three months for housing," Kulik said.

For the families, the help can't come soon enough, and questions remain about the 2009 ruling by the state fire code appeals board that allowed the building to operate without a hard-wired alarm system. Ferland is in the process of updating the buildings and was not found in violation of fire code, thanks to a rare decision which gave them more time to complete the project.

"When you have a building that old, it's so costly to put sprinklers in," said Kulik. "If it wasn't hardwired when it was built, it would cost so much money that you'd have to close the doors."

"The smoke alarms never went off," said Audette, who lived just below the third floor unit where the fire is believed to have started. "At 2 a.m., I woke up to the smell of burning rubber, but didn't know what it was." Several hours later, visitor Jared Flournoy spotted the smoke, and knocked on apartment doors to alert the residents.

"You're counting on smoke detectors to work,"said Fraser. "What if this happens again? In a time of crisis, you would think they'd have a plan B."

The cause of the fire has been classified as undetermined. "We have the room of origin along with the area of origin in the room but that’s all," said Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal Michael Morin. "Technically, the file stays open in case some information presents itself, but there's nothing more for me to investigate right now." Electrical has been ruled out as a possible cause.