The damage caused by a fire at an apartment building in Amherst, N.S. is estimated at more than $1.5-million, and while investigators sift through the rubble, close to 40 tenants are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.
“I’m maybe going on an hour sleep right now, I haven’t slept,” says former tenant Kim Murray.
Murray still hasn’t recovered emotionally or financially from the fire, which destroyed her home Sunday night.
Today, she watched as excavation crews tore down the rubble of what was once her home. She has no place to live but she still sees a silver lining.
“The community’s come together really well to make us feel real comfort of the donations that are coming in,” says Murray.
People have been making donations at the Salvation Army and at a makeshift Canadian Red Cross shelter.
A section of downtown Amherst remains closed due to lingering smoke, as machinery tears down the shell of the apartment building.
The building owner met with tenants today to reimburse them for their damage deposits and rent recovery. Some were puzzled to read ‘no further claim if cashed’ on the back of the cheques.
“It was nice of him, nice enough of him to give some money back, I mean, he should be liable for everything,” says tenant Darcy MacKay.
However, building owner Alex Filimon says it was just a misunderstanding and he distributed new cheques without the note on the back.
“We were ready, you know, people need that,” says Filimon. “It’s Labour Day weekend. They have to move before that, so it wasn’t a hard decision to make.”
Investigators still aren’t exactly what caused the fire. They say they won’t be able to determine a cause until they are able to get inside what is left of the building.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh
