By A.J. Nwoko
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HENRICO COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — When Mickey Spencer arrived at Darby House senior apartments in east Henrico Sunday morning and saw the damage from the night before, the reality of what had happened set in.
“When you come and look at it and actually see it, it’s a different kind of real,” Spencer said.
Spencer’s friend and former classmate are among the more than 60 seniors displaced when a three-alarm fire tore through the four-story building late Saturday night. Henrico Fire crews battled intense flames in extreme heat while evacuating residents, many of whom had mobility issues.
“A lot of damage. I’m thankful that it’s not as bad as it’s perceived to be and I’m thankful that everyone got out,” Spencer said.
Now, Spencer said the challenge is helping her friend access belongings, medications and mobility equipment still inside the damaged building.
“I’m hoping that all who had health or medical challenges are able to resolve them,” Spencer said. “We have to do what we can to help her out and that’s what we plan to do.”
Her concern was echoed by David Brown, who came to the scene hoping to retrieve an oxygen tank and wheelchair for his daughter’s grandmother, a fourth-floor resident now recovering in the hospital.
“I came here to support and help remove, hopefully, what I thought was going to be an easy thing to get — an oxygen tank and wheelchair,” Brown said.
Brown said the cost of the equipment makes the situation even more stressful.
“The wheelchair alone was almost $10,000. An oxygen tank $700 without insurance. It’s so much to think about,” Brown said.
He said the family is holding out hope they will be able to retrieve the items once they are allowed back inside.
“We’ll come back whenever they let us in, hopefully, to grab those things for her so she can move forward with transportation and hopefully a new place to live,” Brown said.
Rob Rowley, Henrico’s Emergency Management Chief, said the county recognized early on that a traditional shelter would not meet the needs of this population.
“This population has unique needs that are just not appropriately addressed in a congregate shelter,” Rowley said.
The county assisted the American Red Cross by paying for 49 hotel rooms at the Marriott at Virginia Center Commons. GRTC bused residents there after they were rescued from the fire. Rowley said the rooms are secured through Wednesday to give the Red Cross and the property owner time to work on longer-term solutions.
“We have gone ahead and secured the rooms through Wednesday to make sure that we have the time that we need to get the Red Cross and the property owner engaged and give them the time they need to make things happen,” Rowley said.
Rowley said the county is committed to making sure no one is left without a place to go.
“We are not going to allow someone to be left standing in a parking lot,” Rowley said.
Brown said the community response has given his family hope.
“That’s why our family all gathered up here to help out and to be supportive and help anyone that needs it,” Brown said. “Because that’s what we need now is people to come out in the community to help out in these tough times.”
Spencer said the situation is a reminder of the community’s responsibility to its oldest residents.
“These are seniors. These are elders. We have to take care of them,” Spencer said.
Firefighters were called to the 1400 block of Shirleydale Avenue, off Darbytown Road about two miles east of downtown Richmond, after an automatic fire alarm triggered just after 10:05 p.m., according to Henrico Division of Fire officials.
When crews arrived, they found heavy fire coming from the back of the building, with flames extending into the roof, Henrico Fire Chief Douglas Clevert Jr. said.
The incident was escalated to a third-alarm assignment, bringing more than 30 fire, EMS, command and support units to the scene.
Clevert said dozens of rescues were made during the incident, with Henrico Police playing a significant role alongside firefighters — at one point transporting a wheelchair on top of a police car to make sure a resident had what they needed to reach the waiting buses.
At least four residents were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No life-threatening injuries were reported among residents or fire personnel.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Henrico County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Darby House, which opened in late July 2006, offers 108 affordable one and two-bedroom apartments for residents 62 and older.
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