45 people homeless after Highland fire, several pets killed
"A lot of ice, a lot of destruction,"
However, in the wake of the tragedy came countless helping hands.
"The community has come together stronger than I've ever seen," said
Of the 45 people displaced by the fire, six are Purdue University Northwest international students, Marlow-Kelleman said.
The Purdue University Northwest community has worked to make sure the students have what they need to recover form losing their belongings and housing.
"Foremost in our mind as a university is the safety of our students,"
While all residents made it out safely, some pets perished in the fire including two cats and a bird, Timmer said.
"The ice and the cold is a hard part of our work," he said. "This is a hard part of our jobs, too. I've got dogs in my house so I'm sensitive to furry creatures."
Before Marlow-Kelleman could even begin making calls to organize the response Friday, dedicated volunteers were reaching out to her because they had just seen news reports of the fire, she said.
"They were out the door before I could even call them," Marlow-Kellemen said.
"The phone has been ringing off the hook" with people wanting to donate food, clothing, shoes, furniture, household items and personal care items, said
Smith has been working for the church 25 years and says this is about the fifth time he has seen a response of this magnitude in the wake of a disaster.
"It is a large number of people who have experienced complete devastation," he said.
Apartment management opened the community room so
One resident was on his way home Friday when he heard about the fire, Marlow-Kellemen said.
"Our caseworkers would not go to bed before they met this man at a restaurant last night," she said. "These volunteers, they did not wrap up until after
Eight
"Maybe they lost a walker. Maybe they lost a prosthetic," Marlow-Kellemen said. Fire victims often flee without gathering prescription medications, hearing aids and other things they might need.
The
Depending on the residents' financial status and insurance, recovery can take a long time.
"From here on out, we just make sure we are connecting them with those services," she said. "Our role is to help each and every family navigate that path to recovery."
The
The church hadn't planned to begin accepting donations Saturday but opened its doors because of the overwhelming response, he said. The church, at
"This is what we're supposed to be doing," he said.
People interested in donating items for the fire victims should visit The Table's Facebook page or call 219-237-8985.
"I want to thank the community for stepping up,"
A rekindle around midnight Friday caused firefighters to reconvene at the building to extinguish the flare-up before they headed to aid in a
The investigation will likely take a week, Timmer said, because of all of the households involved as well as the amount of wreckage at the scene. The building collapse on the south side will have to be cleared out and it's still too dangerous for residents to re-enter.
"It's going to be an extensive, long-term operation by the time all is said and done," Timmer said.
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