HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Nearly 60 residents of the Darby House Apartments are moving to temporary extended stay housing after a fire Saturday left many of them with nothing, as Henrico County, the Red Cross, GRTC and other organizations work together to support those displaced.
Barbara Battle, who is moving to temporary housing, described the chaos of escaping the blaze.
"I ran down, got my roller aide and somebody had to help me get down the steps," Battle said. "It's a total loss, I lost everything."
Henrico County
Massive fire displaces seniors at Henrico apartments: 'All residents are out'
Valeria Reese, who was displaced by the fire, said the flames were dangerously close.
"When I looked out the window, the fire was right there where we were at," Reese said.
Despite the loss, some residents found reason for gratitude. Calvin Penn and Arlene Penn, a husband and wife displaced by the fire, reflected on the outcome.
"We're feeling blessed that it turned out the way it did," Calvin Penn said. "And everybody got out."
The Virginia Center Commons Marriott, where elderly residents have been staying since Sunday morning, served as a coordinated command center for Henrico County, GRTC, the Virginia Red Cross, Darby Town Management and Feedmore.
Lisa Webb, Feedmore's senior manager for the Senior Nutrition Program, outlined the food support plan.
"We'll be doing food distributions tomorrow and Friday to get them through the weekend, and then starting on Monday we'll be doing weekly distributions so that they'll have 14 frozen meals," Webb said.
Starting around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Henrico Emergency Management Chief Rob Rowley said residents were assigned and loaded onto buses to be shuttled to their next locations.
"We worked with, of course, GRTC to provide transit, of course the facilities that are receiving the individuals, but also of course the fantastic folks at the Red Cross who provided the hands that were needed today to get these folks and their belongings loaded up," Rowley said.
Jonathan McNamara of Red Cross Virginia described the focus of the relief effort.
"The efforts that you are seeing here are really focused on relieving stress, relieving anxiety and being able to provide as many resources as possible to help these families recover as quickly as possible," McNamara said.
The nearly 60 residents are now moving to four separate nearby extended stay locations. Rowley said the accommodations were chosen with residents' comfort in mind.
"The kind where they have kitchens in their hotel rooms so that they can really get back into that rhythm of normal living," Rowley said.
Dr. Arlene Simmons, chief operating officer of the Inspirations of Faith Emergency Support Center, said the extended stays are only a temporary solution, with permanent housing now the priority after residents were informed they will not be able to return to the building.
"We were informed last night that no one will be able to go back," Simmons said. "We will still be serving everyone, no one will be in the street. I want to express that."
Residents said the outpouring of support has been meaningful. The Penns described what it has meant to see so many people step up.
"To see everybody pushing together, Henrico County, first responders, everybody," Calvin Penn said. "You know, it's a good feeling, to be loved."
Battle echoed that sentiment.
"I just can't describe how good they've been to us," Battle said. "I feel good that I'm landing on my feet."
Reese summed up the experience simply.
"It was rough, but we made it," Reese said.
Rowley said support for Darby House residents will continue well beyond Wednesday's move.
"It will continue to be a lot of partnerships that the county will be working with to make sure that these folks get taken care of," Rowley said.
Management at Darby House Apartments will support residents in their extended stays until a more permanent solution can be worked out. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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