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LETTERS: Arson fire fuels more questions

Letter writers address the May 15 arson fire that claimed the homes of nearly 100 residents.

Editor:

Now that the ashes have been cleared from the Five Corners fire, I am left wondering how so much damage can be caused by one match.

Would it have anything to do with the granting of a building permit to a building behind 15210 Pacific Ave., without a fire lane and so close to our building that it could not help but burst into flames?

There seemed to be no setback from any property line that I could see and certainly no fire lane that could be used to fight a fire.

The building under construction behind us literally blocked all the viewing pleasure of at least 10 units, and then once on fire literally was so close to us that the fire could not be fought and the heat and explosions were imminent.

Also, at this point in time, it would be remiss not to profusely thank the firemen and women who risked their lives fighting this monster, and also a huge hug and deep appreciation for the constant aid and support of all the White Rock people who stood by us in our time of need. We are deeply thankful and words cannot express our admiration and gratitude.

Geoff Swan, White Rock

• • •

I have appreciated the followup articles touching on many aspects of the community’s and individual responses following the great fire.

So often newspapers and other media players give the original event great coverage and then pass on to “cover” other events. Your followup is helping to make the event a real learning experience for all of us.

One of the things I have been watching for is some detail about the effect of the loss on residents with and without home insurance. Were they happy with the insurance they had; if they didn’t have any, would they get it next time?

Since all stratas would probably have an insurance policy for the building, how in a total loss is it disbursed, and how quickly to owners? Is the payout to the strata and residents affected – held up by legalities – if arson was involved?

Since there are so many strata owners in town, some information on insurance might be useful in our learning process.

Merrill Muttart, White Rock