Tenants lose homes to fire
Written By Leon Thompson
Monday, November 23, 2009

Cause of city blaze remains unknown



ST. ALBANS CITY –– A Main Street apartment building that burned late Friday afternoon is still unoccupied today, but property owners are working to restore some units so that tenants can return home.

Five of the six apartments at 189 N. Main St. were occupied just after 3:30 p.m. Friday when a blaze sparked and destroyed apartment #3, on the ground level.

The fire was initially reported by 12-year-old Hunter Denault-Reynolds. Denault-Reynolds’ father, Hilary, saw the fire from his window while doing dishes, he told the Messenger. “I hollered for someone to call 9-1-1 and ran over to the building,” Denault-Reynolds said.

While Denault-Reynolds knocked on doors inside the building, Hunter guided firefighters toward the fire by telling the dispatcher when he could see the trucks. “The 9-1-1 operator did a really good job of guiding him,” Denault-Reynolds said.

The back of the Denault-Reynolds’ Messenger Street home faces Main Street.

Vermont State Police (VSP) Det. Sgt. Jeremy Hill and Randy Swann, St. Albans Town assistant fire chief, said flames were shooting out the windows of apartment 3 when firefighters arrived on scene.

Laurie King and her 12-year-old son were inside that unit when the fire began, but they escaped unharmed. Smoke detectors in the building alerted King to the fire.

The fire destroyed apartment 3, and the adjoining units sustained smoke damage but no fire damage. Firefighters had the blaze knocked down within minutes. The entire building was evacuated.

No one was injured. A disabled man and occupant of the building reported that he fell down a flight of stairs while attempting to leave the premises. A dog and cat also were removed from the building.

Tenants were relocated to a local motel.

“Obviously, they were shocked that apartment 3 was destroyed, but they were all grateful that they got their animals out, and that they were all safe,” Swann said this morning.

AmCare Ambulance Service and the American Red Cross responded to the scene, along with city and town firefighters. The Franklin County CERT squad conducted traffic flow, as fire trucks and city police cruisers blocked North Main Street.

Vermont State Police and St. Albans City Police are conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the fire, which is still unknown, according to City Fire Chief Joe Beaudry.

Estimated damage is at $20,000. The building is not a total loss, Swann said.

This morning, an electrician was expected to survey the building, owned by JMK Properties of Burlington, to make some decisions about rewiring and readying the building for occupancy again, according to Beaudry.

A “No Trespass” sign was on posted the property this morning.