TACOMA, Wash. — The Red Cross says it’s caring for dozens and dozens of people displaced after an electrical fire at a Tacoma apartment complex nearly a week ago. Fire crews responded to the Winthrop Apartment Complex in downtown Tacoma before 11 p.m. Thursday.
Since then the Red Cross has taken over a senior center in the city’s Eastside neighborhood where they’ve housed as many as 61 people since a fire hit the low-income apartment complex. People inside the shelter say they’re caught in the middle and have no timeline for returning home.
Nicole Holberg, displaced from the Winthrop, says her life is in bags on the front steps of the temporary shelter.
“All day I’ve just been hauling bags, trying to figure out a time to eat, struggling trying to find a shower,” Holberg said.
Residents of the Winthrop reported that power was knocked out to the entire building and it has yet to be restored.
“Everybody was panicking, people were falling – we had to stay outside for like four to five hours," Holberg continued. "We weren’t really being told anything we were just outside, freezing waiting."
The apartment management, Redwood Housing did put some residents in motels. An update on April 18 said the company is waiting on a city inspection within the next 48 hours and they will provide more information once the inspection is completed. They shared a statement with KING 5 that read:
"Redwood Housing is continuing to work closely with the Tacoma Fire Department, the City of Tacoma, and several other organizations to determine the full extent of damage to The Winthrop. We do not yet have a timeline for when residents are able to move back into the building, as we are awaiting a mandatory inspection from Tacoma Public Utilities to be able to move forward.
There are 200 apartments in the building and about 220 residents. All residents who have been in contact with our team have been temporarily relocated with the help of the Red Cross and the City’s Emergency Management Team. We are continuing to work with each resident on a case-by-case basis to support their individual needs. While a handful of residents are still in Red Cross-provided facilities, most have been provided with individual hotels or are staying with friends and family in the area."
Residents continue to have access to their apartments to retrieve personal belongings, as needed.
Jaren Quinn says he’s still waiting to find out when he’ll be allowed back home.
“Who wants to be away from home? And that’s kind of everybody’s problem right now,” Quinn said.
“I would love the Winthrop to communicate to us why we can’t be in our apartments,” he continued.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross says it will continue to operate this shelter for as long as it’s needed, providing beds and meals for as many people as it can.
“I have never had anything like this happen in my life,” Holberg said loading her belongings into a waiting vehicle. Holberg says she’s moving out of the shelter and into a motel – an upgrade, but it’s still not home.
“We all need to be here for each other and come together and help each other,” she continued.