Fire

 

  “He will rescue the poor when they cry to him.” Psalm 72:12

 

  Today is a bit different. I needed to write to clear my head.

  There was a fire last night that has damaged the place where I work and pretty well gutted an adjacent building. For any new readers, I work at a peer support drop-in for anyone whose lives are touched by mental health or addictions. Covid has changed what we do a lot. Mostly we’ve been providing door service. We provide survival items to the alarming and growing number of homeless people in our town. Rent prices are through the roof and have left many people of all ages unable to put a roof over their head. 

  The drop-in was only for anyone wanting to access technology or a phone. Infection prevention protocol has this limited to one visitor at a time.

  I have missed the gathering together of people, the sharing, and the sense of community that is a fundamental part of who we are. It’s been over two years now.

  The tenants in the upstairs apartments of both buildings all got out safely, one barely escaped through a window. The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined. The fire investigators are still there so hopefully can provide answers. I just know the wiring in our building isn't great...vibrations from a neighbour's demolition tripped the breaker for the kitchen.

  I first heard about the fire through my friend who was a friend of a friend who posted a photo on FB as soon as they saw the flames. We raced over last night to see if it was my work building and were shocked and dismayed to realize it was. I called my boss last night. FB was how she heard about it, too.

  It’s funny what goes through your mind in times of crises. My first thought was to celebrate that the hated Covid RAT tests were most likely burned up. But then I realized what the damage really meant.

  I don’t know when we will be open again. This means all the people we serve won’t be able to access our critical services like a meal, or a pair of socks. The outdoor gear we have for those living homeless will be most likely be terribly smoke damaged. Blankets and such can be washed but the tents may be beyond redemption. Hmmm…I could bring them home and set them up if they aren’t water damaged. Maybe airing them out will be enough. The details have yet to be revealed.

  I hope we can find a temporary site to operate from. With all the shortages in building supplies and the shortages in construction workers, it might be a while before things are up and running.

  My co-worker shared her joy that our new electric snow thrower survived.

  That’s important, finding joy in the midst of devastation.

  I hope the art survived; three large paintings I did many years ago as a thank you entitled Hope, Support, and Recovery. These are three of the key concepts defining who we are and what we do. If they got wet, the MDF boards they were painted on will warp and swell. If they only got covered in smoke, chances are they can be cleaned. But then, they, too are replaceable.

  I wonder if the 4L jugs of alcohol based hand sanitizer and cases of wipes spread the flames in the building. These were stored with the RAT tests. It might be something to think about for the future, how to store them in a safer way.

  My church has reached out to some of the tenants. Some lost everything and probably don’t have content insurance. My co-worker is looking to find someone to take care of their pets until they get re-settled.

  We were closed tomorrow for a full day of staff training. It’s still on as planned. Looks like it will be a commute to the kitchen table.

  When all is said and done, I can only praise God. No one was killed. Stuff can be replaced. And that is the greatest joy of all.