Residents of Canfield apartments damaged by fire await re-entry

By ELISE FRANCO

CANFIELD— It’s still up in the air as to when residents of The Villager apartment complex will be able to move back in.

A fire that started July 28 while a tenant was cooking inside his apartment displaced 42 tenants. The blaze was contained to that apartment, but smoke damage was widespread through the Fairground Boulevard building, which has 56 units.

Jeffrey Uroseva, chief building official, said the building is structurally sound, and smoke-smell removal will be the major task ahead.

“I’d say 80 percent of the occupants can move back in once they get the place cleaned up,” he said. “That time table should be submitted to me from contractor or building owner, and that has not been done yet.”

Uroseva said drawings need to be supplied so that he can see exactly in what order the apartments can be reoccupied.

“We do understand people want to get back in, but we also want to be able to deem the building safe,” he said. “The ball is in [the building owner’s] court so-to-speak.”

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.