10 months after devastating fire, homeowners get the keys
Owners are finally able to move in today to the new five-unit Cedar Walk townhouse project that has risen from the ashes.
A massive fire broke out at the three-storey development at 3999 Cedar Hill Rd. on May 22 last year. It had a roof, but was at the framing stage, with a December completion target.
The blaze forced builder Seba Construction to begin the project again. Crews went flat-out to finish the job this month.
“We cleared the whole site and we started from scratch there,” Jamie Gill, part-owner of the family business Seba Construction, said Thursday. “Everyone worked really hard on it.”
On that May evening, flames shot 25 metres into the sky and quickly spread to a nearby multifamily development where residents raced outdoors to safety.
Propane tanks shot through the air. Local businesses were evacuated. Billows of dark smoke were visible throughout the region.
People milled around the area, shocked and numb. Some walked their dogs on leashes, thankful to have escaped. At least 14 residents were displaced and many more were helped that night by emergency social services.
The blaze was so hot that siding on nearby homes melted.
After the fire, Seba boosted its site surveillance and concentrated on getting doors installed and locked up as soon as possible, Gill said.
Owners are excited about moving in, he said.
The units are three storeys, between 1,870 and 2,075 square feet, and have high-end finishes. They sold for between $750,000 and $800,000, Gill said.
Seba’s crew members still talk about the fire, he said.
“Coming in the next day in the morning, it is such an empty feeling in the stomach. You’ve never been through this before so you don’t know the steps of who to call.”
Insurance covered the damage, he said.
Steven Pickering is facing charges of arson and mischief endangering life. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 5.