Chatham apartment fire recovery: Section A residents set to return in late February

Some residents of 99 McNaughton Avenue West are back in their homes following a fire last year. But, as CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell reports, they feel sick in

Recovery efforts continue at 99 McNaughton Ave. W., the municipally owned apartment complex in Chatham, following a devastating fire on Aug. 25, 2024.

The blaze, which was later confirmed as arson, displaced dozens of residents and caused extensive damage to the 120-unit building.

According to municipal officials, repairs to the building have progressed steadily, allowing residents of Section D to return to their units in mid-November. Occupants of Section C were able to move back before Christmas.

On Wednesday, Chatham-Kent Housing Services advised online that tenants in Section A should begin preparing to return during the last week of February. A specific move-in date will be provided as soon as it can be confirmed.

“We’re looking at we’re targeting the end of February to early March to get those tenants back in,” said Rob Pollock, director of Parks, Fleet & Facilities for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. “We’re fairly confident that’s going to occur at the end of February to early March unless there’s a significant setback. So, then we’ll have three blocks back open and B block is currently in the process of being tendered. That was where the fire occurred.”

Sections A and B sustained the most severe damage, with ongoing remediation efforts expected to continue into the coming months. While Section A residents are set to return soon, no definitive timeline has been provided for Section B.

According to Pollock, officials are hopeful the remaining tenants in Section B of the building will be able to return to their apartments by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

“It could go either way,” he explained. “We’ll give more approximate dates after that construction starts.”

He continued, “The whole building has done all the restoration work. That was one of our main things when we first took over the building was to get out all the damaged items, make sure there wouldn’t be any mould forming, all of that kind of stuff. So the building is stabilized at this point. We have a roof on it, so there’s no water or any other damage is getting in. But when you’re going through a construction project of this nature, there could always be setbacks.”

“The main thing that we’re trying to do is make sure when tenants go back in that it’s a safe environment and we’re meeting all compliancy for the facility or for the buildings before they go back in. So, that’s always one thing that we always have to make sure. But right now there’s no significant setbacks on the construction,” Pollock said.

Pollock noted that those in need of assistance with returning to their unit should contact their case manager to discuss possible options.

Meantime, some residents who have already returned say they’re concerned about their health since moving home, with others telling CTV News several residents report feeling sick inside their repaired units.

“I’ve been fighting, kind of like a cold since I moved back in,” said Sue Stoddard, who returned in December. “I mean, I know I do have COPD, I do smoke, but I don’t know what it is. It’s just I don’t feel myself, and I wasn’t like this prior to the fire.”

Stoddard, who moved into the social housing complex 12 years ago, said her apartment sustained minor damage compared to others, but she shares concerns over lingering soot or possible mould.

“I’m not as happy. I’m getting frustrated a lot,” she explained. “I try to control my anger. It takes a lot to get me mad, but when I get mad, look out and I can go off like a firecracker.”

Stoddard added, “Once we all get back, I know it’s going to be a while, maybe things, I’ll feel better.”

Neighbour Robert Francis said others have spoken about feeling ill since returning home, as he waits to return himself.

“Very much sick,” he stated.

“I do have a lot of things in my apartment, but those are all in boxes. And when I get back, hopefully those boxes will be salvageable. And those will be cherished items that I use on a daily basis that I don’t have to go out and replace,” Francis said.

Francis said he’s concerned that some of the things in his apartment will not be in the same condition they were when he abruptly evacuated during the fire.

“We are the ones that are actually paying the insurance companies. And when the insurance company comes back, the adjudicator says we have to wait until we get back there to see if it needs to be replaced. That’s sits very hard. And we need to swallow because when we get back in there, it’s supposed to be a joyous time because we’re back home, we’re in our comfort zone, we’re in our home, and then all of a sudden that we have to get rid of more,” he explained.

Francis added there is some frustration over a lack of communication, suggesting not all residents have the ability to see updates online, “Pick up the telephone, talk to the affected people. This is what’s on the news. This is what’s out in the media. Give us the heads up. We’re the people that are moving back.”

Pollock said if any tenants have any issues, they can reach out to the housing services department.

“Each tenant was giving a case manager at the time of the fire, so we went through that, made sure each person had a specific case manager to reach out to. And if they have any specific questions, they can reach out to them, and then we’ll reach out depending on what the situation is, if it’s a tenant relations issue or a facilities related issue,” Pollock said.

In response to the crisis, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent activated an Emergency Operations Centre, working closely with displaced tenants to secure temporary housing. Community organizations, such as FreeHelpCK, and local businesses, including Handy Bros. Home Comfort, played a crucial role in supporting affected tenants by gathering and distributing donations.

Pollock said the Municipality of Chatham-Kent has commended the resilience and patience of residents as efforts continue to restore normalcy. Officials stress their commitment to ensuring safe and secure living conditions for all tenants affected by the fire.

“The community really stepped up. These individuals lost a lot. Some of them lost everything and some lost a lot of stuff. People stepped up with clothing and furniture and the donations were so overwhelming, we had to put a pause on it because we didn’t have enough room to put them anywhere for a while. So, you know, the community of Chatham-Kent really stepped up and really helped out all the tenants in this really rough time,” Pollock said.

The Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue Services, in collaboration with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office and the Chatham-Kent Police Criminal Investigation Branch, determined the fire was intentionally set.

Erin Ott, a 30-year-old Chatham woman, was arrested and charged with arson—disregard for human life. Earlier this month, police in St. Thomas arrested and charged 48-year-old Leonard Greason of London with arson—disregard for human life.