‘We lost everything, we came out with the clothes we had on’

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Published on Thursday, March 5, 2015

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

The Neepawa Banner

It was just after 6 p.m. last Wednesday when Arlene Vaughan first noticed smoke rising from the back of the Neepawa Home Hardware building. In addition to working in the store, Vaughan and her husband Tom lived in one of the four apartments above the hardware store. 

No one who saw those first puffs of smoke could have predicted that just a few hours later, the building would be completely destroyed. In total, eight people lived in the building’s four apartments.

Vaughan explained that her and her husband were just leaving their apartment when they saw the smoke. She then rushed through the building, knocking on doors and alerting the other tenants to the fire and helping to make sure everyone got out.

Cindy Revet and her husband Adrian moved into their apartment last April. When Vaughan knocked on their door, they had just finished dinner and were about to start watching the news.  Cindy said that her husband had smelled smoke, but she had a cold and didn’t. 

By the time the tenants got out of the building, someone else had also noticed the smoke and called the fire department. 

Matthew Gagnon and his sister Sarah rented one of the apartments and neither of them were home at the time.  Sarah was at work, while Matthew was house sitting. They had lived in their apartment since April 2013.

Also living in the building were Neepawa Press editor Chase Ruttig and his girlfriend Drae Pelletier. They lost all of their belongings in the fire.

“I’m tongue tied for words, my emotions are all over the place”

At first the fire didn’t seem like that much of a threat, it didn’t look very large and wasn’t very close to the apartments. “We thought they would put it out and everyone would be back upstairs,” said Cindy Revet. They thought that they might spend a night out of their home, but didn’t expect to be left homeless. “We hoped to get back up there and stay living there,” she said.

She and her husband left their apartment with nothing, they didn’t even have their car keys. “We lost everything, we came out with the clothes we had on,” she said. Their vehicle, which was parked against the side of the building, had to be towed away from the fire. They lost irreplaceable mementos including wedding and baby pictures.

For Adrian, this is the second time he’s lost everything in a fire.  Cindy said that about 30 years ago, his home was destroyed by a fire on Christmas morning.

On Friday, there was still a sense of shock. “I can’t fathom, I don’t know if it’s hit me or not.  I’m overwhelmed, I’d never wish this on anyone,” said Cindy Revet. Despite the loss, there was a bright side, “I’m thankful that everyone is alive and not hurt,” she said.

Revet works at Neepawa Tim Hortons and owner Anthony Chwaluk rented her a hotel room and provided her with a cell phone.  They will be looking for a new place to live. “My boss is amazing with what he’s done,” she said.

Revet was thankful for all of the donations and generosity from the community. “It’s been wonderful,” she said.

As the Revets start over rebuilding their lives, there was some optimism.  “It can only get better, it can only get better from here,” she said.

“The initial shock I’ve gotten over”

On Wednesday night, Matthew Gagnon was house sitting at Hillcrest.  Between 6:15 and 6:30, he heard from his sister, who was at work.  She told him that there was smoke coming out of the building. He went to check it out. Apart from a few items he had with him, they lost everything.

When Matthew went back between 7:30 and 8 p.m. to check the fire, he knew it wasn’t good. He could see the smoke when he turned onto Highway 16. He went and saw the fire and then left. “It was a cold night,” he said. He went back about 10 p.m. to see what was left standing.

The fire happened the night before their grandfather’s funeral.

By Friday, Matthew said, “The initial shock I’ve gotten over, it’s mostly just stuff. But Sarah had some sentimental, irreplaceable stuff.” In the meantime, they are staying with their parents, who also live in Neepawa, and will be looking to pick up the pieces and move on. “The general feeling of being displaced is a burden, [but] we’ll keep going,” he said.

He was very thankful for the outpouring of support from area residents, both friends and strangers. Even the night of the fire, people were setting up drives and trying to make sure the tenants had what they needed. “It’s much appreciated,” he said.

“I knew we had a great town”

Arlene Vaughan and her husband left their apartment with just the clothes on their backs. “We have to pick up the pieces,” she said. Looking back, she said they probably could have gone back in and saved some of their belongings, “But it was the last thing [on] my mind,” she said.

The Vaughans still had their vehicle and following the fire, they went to visit a daughter in Winnipeg. “On Monday, I’ll start with the process of what I have to do… Next, we’ll pick up the pieces,” she said. For the short term, they’ll be staying with a daughter in Neepawa.

Vaughan is thankful for all the support they have received, not just from the fire fighters but also from normal citizens. “Everybody is so helpful and giving, even if it’s just someone to talk to and a hug… Everybody would give anyone anything,” she said.

For Vaughan, the experience reinforced her love for the community. “I knew we had a great town, this shows it more. We can’t get any better than where we live,” she said.

For Vaughan, the blow was doubly hard, the long-time Home Hardware staff member lost both her home and her job. The store employed 13 people. But both groups were like family, and like all families, “We take care of each other,” she said.

On Thursday, the Neepawa Salvation Army began accepting donations of items, including housewares and clothing, for those displaced by the fire. They are also now able to accept cash donations to be disbursed to those who have lost their homes.

A benefit social has been planned for March 21 at the Neepawa Yellowhead starting at 9 p.m. Prior to the social, there will be an old time dance between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. There will be silent auction items and a 50/50 draw. Auction items can be dropped off at Kerreen’s.