The fire was reported late Wednesday night and contained early Thursday morning. However, extensive smoke damage displaced approximately 30 people who were living on the sixth and seventh floors of the apartment building, said Michelle Lee-Hall, the executive director of the SMHA. Some units below also suffered some water damage.
Though the entire apartment building had been evacuated during the fire, most residents living below the sixth floor were able to return to their units after the blaze was put out, according to the Springfield Fire Division.
Lee-Hall said that the housing authority is working with the Clark County Emergency Management Agency as well as the local Red Cross and other nonprofits such as the Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Paul and the local United Way in order to aid those temporality displaced.
That support has included the Red Cross assisting in providing temporary lodging last week in the form of hotel rooms and the SMHA has started facilitating long-term solutions.
That includes relocating some of the impacted residents to permanent housing units at other properties managed by the SMHA. Some residents who lived on the seventh floor of Hugh Taylor were able to go back to their homes on Monday as the cleanup of those units had already been completed, said Lee-Hall.
Others impacted by the smoke damage will be relocated to other units in the city that are managed by the SMHA or will stay in hotel lodging until the end of the month with those expenses being covered. The end goal for those residents that will be in hotel lodging until the end of the month is to have them go back to Hugh Taylor and there is a restoration company that is onsite working to repair and restore damaged units.
Those who will not be able to return to Hugh Taylor are being placed in other units.
Some of those in temporary lodging are also waiting for bedding and other items needed in order for them to transition to more long term housing solutions, she added.
The SMHA manages 800 low income public housing units as well as services 1,300 people through the housing choice voucher program known formally as Section 8 housing.
In terms of what the response has been following the fire, Michelle Clements-Pitstick, director of the Clark County EMA said “(the) Red Cross responded to the scene and provided financial assistance to those affected. (SMHA) has vacant units the folks affected will be relocating to. Some units are in the same building, some are within other buildings owned by SMHA.”
Those providing aid to displaced residents are also looking at things such as providing bedding and helping in the recovery or replacement of other possessions lost or damaged in the fire, Lee-Hall said.
In terms of how the community can help, Clements-Pitstick said “At this time, we are assessing the needs of the residents and will reach out to the community through United Way if additional needs are identified.”
The cause of the blaze is still being investigated, but is believed to have been accidental, according to the Springfield Fire Division.
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