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A 8 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday August 21, 2002 Apartment fire spaiks evacuation Careless smoking causes $50,000 damage By Dona Foucault S P E C IA L T O T H E B E /V E R Candis Landry and Leigh Thomas had stepped out of their apartment for only an hour when they returned to find about 100 tenants watching helplessly from across the street as a fire destroyed their apartment and possibly their pets on Saturday night. "When we came back all we saw were the fire trucks and all the flashing lights and we still didn't even know it was our apartment until I saw my cat Molson in a stranger's arms," said an emotionally distraught Landry. The tenants of 1230 White Oaks Blvd. were evacuated shortly before 9 p.m. after teenage boys sitting outside the police station across the street heard a window break and saw flames shoot ing out of apartment 503. "At first I was like, why would some one be shooting off fireworks from their apartment," 17-year-old Jeff Cekota said. "Then I ran into the police station and told them there was a fire." Cekota said fire trucks began arriving almost immediately. "I was watching a movie and they were actually fighting a fire when I smelled smoke. I thought I was imagin ing it until I stepped outside and saw black smoke coming from below us," eighth floor resident Stewart Dick said. "I ran out into the hall and pulled the fire alarm. I couldn't believe it hadn't already gone off," Dick said. "I was just getting ready to sit down for dinner when I smelled smoke," said Wendy Johnson, who lives on the eleventh floor. "At first I thought maybe my husband was burning something on the stove and then we saw black smoke billowing out from a window below us," she said, her husband Ed Foreman, dog Bijou and cat Kitty in tow. "I'm just so happy no one was home and no one was hurt," said Landry who at this point still didn't know the fate of a second cat, Griffin, and her pet gecko. "I'm so worried about Griffin, we're taking care of it for my other roommate," said Landry referring to Ryan Murry, a third roommate, who was away for the weekend. A firefighter had rescued Molson ear lier and brought him down from the apartment. "I was standing across the street when a firefighter just came up to me and gave me this cat and told me to hold on to it," said seventh floor resident Roselynn Theriault. Theriault said the five-month-old kit ten was covered in soot and had clouded eyes when she first held him. Oakville Deputy Fire Chief John de Hooge later confirmed that Griffin had made it out safely and had been reunited with Landry. The gecko didn't survive the fire. "A lot of it is water and smoke dam Fire department officials were not age and the bedroom contents are pretty immediately able to deter much destroyed," he said. mine the cause of the fire, Park Property M an "At first I was like, why but Thomas speculated, agement property manager would someone be "They said it started on my Steve Weinrieb, rushed to side of the bed. That's the scene from Thornhill. shooting off fireworks where my ashtray is, so "It is a credit to the from their apartment. maybe I didn't put out my staff here that everyone Then I ran into the cigarette properly and one got out safely," Weinrieb of the cats knocked it said, adding that staff take police station and told over," he added. part in three emergency them there was a fire." On Monday morning preparedness classes per · Jeff Cekota, de Hooge confirmed that year. who first spotted the fire careless smoking had Residents were able to indeed been determined to return to their apartments be the cause of the fire. at about 11:15 p.m. de Hooge estimated the value of the Thomas and Landry are staying with damage to be at $50,000. family. Jamie Smith · Oakville Beaver Tenants of a White Oaks Boulevard apartment complex watch from lawn chairs as Oakville firefighters put out a fire in the building on Saturday night. The building's tenants were forced out of their homes for more than two hours because of a fire in one of the apartment units. SALE PRICES END SATURDAY, AUGUST 31,2002 The brands you want at the store you trust* Great prices on Kenmore, KitchenAicT, Frigidaire; GP, Maytag8 , Viking8, Jenn-Aif, Amana", Whirlpool8 major appliances and more! Registered Trademark of KitchenAid USA. 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