Nearly 90 people homeless after early Sunday fire destroys 32 apartments in Griffith

Dec. 29--As many as 90 people will spend the rest of the holiday season without a home after a fire tore through a 32-unit apartment building in Griffith's Park West Apartments early Sunday morning.

The 4 a.m. fire appears to have started on the second floor, traveling to the north of building in the 1700 block of Dylane Drive, Highland Fire Chief Bill Timmer said. Because the roof was constructed with about an inch and a half of non-moving material over plywood, firefighters needed to open up holes on the roof's north side to make it easier to extinguish from the outside, he said.

"The fire burned up and out so we let it take its course," Timmer said.

No residents were hurt in the blaze, and one firefighter received medical attention for a non-life-threatening injury, he said. The fire took about four hours and the efforts of nine area departments to completely extinguish.

"There was also a fire in Cedar Lake we got called down to but we couldn't leave here," Timmer said.

The State Fire Marshal is expected to arrive Monday to assist in the investigation, which as of Sunday morning was ongoing, Griffith Fire Assistant Chief Don Hill said. Maintenance workers, meanwhile, worked Sunday morning to secure the building, which was a total loss.

"These are old buildings, and we were very lucky to not have any fatalities. With building sprinklers, though, (residents are) not going to die," Timmer said.

Displaced residents were directed to the complex community center to meet with American Red Cross volunteers to arrange for assistance. As of late Sunday morning, they had met with 69 of the 89 people who lived there, said Kristin Marlow-Kellemen, the agency's Northwest Indiana executive director.

The Red Cross was directing people to local hotels -- including one that allows pets -- while Park West was working to move people in other units on the premises, Marlow-Kellemen said. There were also Disaster Health and Disaster Mental Health volunteers at the ready for people who needed specialized care.

"Apartment fires are just devastating and emotional, so we have licensed professionals on scene to help people with existing health issues to secure medication and other needs," Marlow-Kellemen said. "We also have mental health people here because a lot of people are in shock, and we'll connect them with ongoing care should they need it."

Further Red Cross efforts will include partnering with a local church or other nonprofit groups to act as a so-called family assistance center that will collect and provide gently used items for people as they get themselves back on their feet, she said.

"People at this point need everything, and they may not want to buy new stuff for a place where they're not planning on staying," Marlow-Kellemen said.

She's also been talking to other groups to figure out a way to secure renters insurance for people, though those talks are still early, she said. She emphasized how crucial rental insurance is for apartment dwellers.

"It's such a small amount of money, and I know that sometimes people can't even afford that, but it literally is the difference between recovering (from the fire) and not recovering," she said.

Kim Wahls, who lives on the building's north side, said if it wasn't for a friend coming over, she might've well slept through the blaze. As it was, she and her friend watched it from their cars.

"She didn't know but I was coughing and couldn't breathe," said Wahls' friend, who declined to give his name. "Next thing I know, (firefighters) were banging on the door yelling, 'Get out!'"

Wahls and her friend were in the car for about an hour and a half when she looked up and saw the fire pouring out of her second-floor window. The shock hadn't worn off.

"I'm looking at it, and it really hasn't hit yet," Wahls said. "I have no clothes, no cell phone, no ID. I'll be staying at my mom's in Chicago, though."

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