Editor:
I am a mother and an evacuee of the Ocean Ridge fire, (Five Corners up in flames, May 18).
I was told this past week that all my personal and family items are a total loss due to fire, smoke and water damage that resulted from a suspected arson fire spreading from a new construction building that was approved to be built meters from our 70-unit building.
This massive fire, which nearly drained White Rock’s water supply, resulted in 100 residents losing their homes for up to 2½ years. Most if not all of us were terrified for our lives as we ran with the clothes on our backs, frantically knocking on doors to try to warn others as an explosion from the construction site entered our building.
No fire lanes were there to separate our building from the new-construction exposed-wood building, and we watched fire trucks arrive at the scene to try to put out a massive inferno at the new construction site.
I want to thank the White Rock community for the help, support and kindness that continues – at the level of what family would do and well beyond.
As a result of the chaos of the last few days, I won’t recall or know who you are and many of you I have never met, but I want to thank you. You are essentially strangers that have reached out. My daughters are wearing your pyjamas and playing with your toys. As a result of your kindness and generosity, my daughters feel comfortable and your gifts from the heart are normalizing their very young lives after they have lost all their personal items.
I want to thank all the businesses for reaching out, as well as the Sikh community for bringing a five-ton truck, the United Church, the Girl Guides, Sources, Ocean Ridge Strata and the property-management team for their fast response. There are many others. You know who you are, and we the Ocean Ridge residents appreciate your efforts more than you will ever know.
I wish to thank White Rock Fire Department for working shifts of over 28 hours for stopping this horrific fire from further destroying other buildings, displacing many more young families and elderly people, should this fire not have been contained.
I also want to thank firefighters for retrieving residents’ ashes of lost family members from years prior, war medals and important ID and personal items. You are the heroes of this community.
About a dozen RCMP officers and firemen ran into the building as we the residents ran out, risking their lives to save others. As a result, everyone was evacuated and all human lives were saved. We are grateful to you.
This is truly the work of heroes.
I want to thank those involved for going above and beyond the call of duty both in their professions and as neighbours and community members for making this community a great one that will rebuild Five Corners better than before.
H. Davidson, White Rock