EVERETT — The number of people displaced by a fatal fire in Everett on New Year’s Eve has grown to more than 150. Many of those are families with children. Community groups are working together on finding them long-term housing and addressing other needs.
The name of the adult who was killed in the fire was not made public Monday.
There also was no update provided on 12 other people who were hospitalized. That included a 57-year-old woman with critical injuries, and three others who were seriously hurt.
The cause of the fire at the Bluffs apartments along W. Casino Road remains under investigation.
The American Red Cross continues to operate an emergency shelter at a nearby church. More than 40 people stayed overnight Saturday and Sunday, said Chuck Morrison, director of the Snohomish County branch.
On Monday, the conversation was about finding long-term housing, and working with organizations around the city and county, he said.
“It’s going to be their hard work and the hard work of a bunch of agencies to try to make that happen,” he said. “There are no easy answers.”
The Red Cross has provided 400 meals and 800 snacks for those displaced, Morrison said. In addition, 107 people were seen by nurses and 21 by mental-health professionals.
“It’s been pretty busy,” he said.
The Red Cross is not seeking donations of goods for the victims.
“We had a tremendous amount of donations of blankets, clothes and toys,” Morrison said. “At this point, we have more than we can deal with. Financial donations are appreciated. At this point the expenses are for feeding families.”
The Faith Community Center, located within Faith Lutheran Church at 6708 Cady Road, also is working with the families on their specific needs. People interested in helping can call 425-971-0402 for more information.
A call for donations over the weekend received an overwhelming response, said Roxana Boroujerdi, who is helping with the community center’s efforts. Organizers ended up opening the doors to the neighborhood to share donations because they ran out of room for storage.
“They received enough clothes for an army,” she said.
Authorities still are tallying the damage to the property. The official count was seven apartments burned and 23 with smoke damage. Additional people reported water damage in their homes.
The building is not under any condemnation orders at this point.
“It appears the property managers are taking all the right steps,” city spokeswoman Meghan Pembroke said. “They have security posted. They’re setting up fences to keep people out.”
The apartment complex was built in 1969 and did not have fire sprinklers. In Everett, large apartment buildings constructed after 1992 are required to have sprinklers.
The fire was reported at 7:09 p.m. Thursday. The first rig was on scene within five minutes, and “flames were visible from several windows,” according to a prepared statement by the city.
“It appears a number of factors caused the fire to spread very quickly into the attic and through the building, including the lack of a sprinkler system,” the statement said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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