Resident reaction to media reports a smouldering cigarette led to Thursday’s Millrise condo inferno was mixed yesterday at the scene of the fire.
As residents of the Millrise condo complex filed back yesterday to retrieve items during supervised visits to some of the secured suites, word had spread of a possible cause.
Gail Fagan invested in one of the units with her son two years ago and was outraged to hear a cigarette may have caused the devastating damage that has left her son with nothing.
“It really makes me mad. I can’t believe it. That person should feel ashamed. I don’t know why someone wouldn’t be more careful with something like that,” Fagan said.
Fagan added she and her family will vote in a meeting set to take place with condo owners and the condo board today to rebuild the structure, but she still had trouble accepting the reported cause of the blaze.
“We still have to pay mortgage despite the fire. Smokers should give their head a shake and be more careful. This happens a lot.”
Fire officials weren’t available for comment but were said to still be investigating, and they will reveal the official cause of the fire this week.
Resident Samantha Murphy said even if the cause is determined to be a carelessly discarded cigarette butt, she won’t blame the person who did it.
“Well, accidents happen and people make mistakes. I mean, it’s upsetting, but it can’t change anything now,” she said.
Murphy only lived in the condo for a few months but said she was thankful to be alive.
