The Westbrook families forced from their homes two weeks ago by fire or city code violations are still trying to rebuild their lives.
Thirty-three people in four families were displaced within a two-day span, June 18 and 19. Two families were forced to move suddenly from their 158 Brackett St. home because of serious city code violations on June 18, and two families lost everything in a fire the next day at 9 Pierce St .
Madelena Kassa, 51, is still in intensive care at Massachusetts General Hospital. She sustained severe burns in the Pierce Street fire, and was in critical condition when she was flown to Boston for medical treatment.
Kassa’s husband, James Kassa, said Tuesday that his wife is now in stable condition at the hospital. Since the fire, he said, he’s been in constant communication with Maria Dorn, Westbrook’s director of community services, discussing possible help the family could receive.
While the city can initiate emergency General Assistance, especially in the case of the families who were vacated from a home on Brackett Street due to code issues, assistance is limited. All families still must qualify. However, Dorn and other city officials have been mustering support for the families in other ways.
During the past week, Dorn has lined up resources for the families such as food and other supplies from the Westbrook Food Pantry, assistance through the United Way of Greater Portland, and additional help through local churches.
Dorn said the Vineyard Church of Greater Portland, off Route 302, has been one of the major supporters.
The Rev. Mario Maston of Vineyard Church said Wednesday that since the fire, he’s been coordinating assistance for the victims with ministers of seven Westbrook churches.
“I don’t know how much I can thank her,” Kassa said about Dorn, adding that he’s been staying at the Super 8 Motel on Larrabee Road.
Kassa said Dorn has been calling him just to ask how he’s doing, and has been helping him look for possible housing. He said he’s looking for an apartment for the family of four.
Kassa is a truck driver for Pronto. He said that during his off hours, he travels back and forth from Boston to check in on his wife. He painted a grim picture from the scene of the fire, describing his adult son’s heroics in removing Madelena Kassa from the burning building.
Kassa said he wasn’t home at the time of the fire, but received a call from one of his two sons who were also living in the apartment.
“He heard his mother screaming, ‘I’m dying,’” he said, adding that when his son opened a door, the room was full of smoke – so much that he couldn’t see where his mom was. Kassa said his son told his mom to keep yelling so he could find her, and when he did, covered her with a blanket and pulled her out of the house.
When Kassa arrived home, firefighters were already on scene, and his wife had already been taken to the hospital. He said there was confusion when he arrived at Maine Medical Center, because staff told him his wife wasn’t there. She had already left on a LifeFlight helicopter for Boston.
Kassa said the family “lost everything” in the fire, as did the Abduallah family, which lived on the second floor apartment above the Kassas. He said the two families are close, and said the Abduallahs are also struggling. He believes they’re staying with other family members for the time being.
Kassa said he’s hoping to find an apartment in Westbrook, but may have to look elsewhere. Last week, city officials described a housing shortage that’s affecting all of Greater Portland.
The two families from the condemned Brackett Street building have also been staying at the Super 8, but maybe not for much longer.
“We’re only at the hotel until Friday, GA won’t pay past that,” said Teresa Needham this week. The Needhams, with four children, were living on the first floor at Brackett Street.
“We still don’t know where we’re going. We’re looking at new apartments. We haven’t heard anything from the landlord on when repairs will be done,” she said.
Since the building was condemned because of electrical problems that posed immediate fire hazards, the two families have been allowed to return briefly, accompanied by code enforcement, to retrieve a few belongings. However, the majority of their belongings remain in the building. There is still no timeline for when the building will be brought up to code.
Reached Wednesday, Bruce Hepler, the landlord of the building, declined to comment.
City Administrator Jerre Bryant said Tuesday that while the city’s ability to provide General Assistance is limited, there are other resources for the families.
Bryant said the city is utilizing a fund that was set up by a Westbrook resident to assist families with housing. In this case, he said, the fund can help families pay the first month’s rent and security deposit, giving a family a boost toward a new apartment.
Needham said the city has offered to use this fund to help her family with a new apartment.
However, she said, they still have to find an apartment that would work for a family of six, and soon. When asked if she’s optimistic about finding a solution, she said, “I would like to be, but with only three days left and then not knowing where I’m going with my kids, it’s pretty stressful.”
Bryant said the Brackett Street building has also presented further difficulty due to the number of people living there. The building was home to 23 people. An extended family of 16 people lived on the second and third floors.
“That makes it even more challenging,” he said.
He said the Red Cross has picked up a large chunk of the costs of the hotel stays, with the city picking up the rest.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
