House fires put further strain on families during pandemic

DANBURY — Dave Greaves tried to use the fire extinguisher, but flames soon overwhelmed his son’s apartment.

The family ran out of the two-story house Greaves had called home for seven years. For about two weeks since the blaze, the family had been staying in a hotel, struggling to find a new place to rent.

“With the coronavirus, it’s pretty tough,” said Greaves, who rented an upstairs apartment in the Locust Avenue house. “No one wants to sell you a house. You have to video tour most of the places.”

The search came to an end Friday when the family expected to sign documents to rent a place in Brookfield. Greaves said they planned to move in Saturday.

Greaves’ two sons, one of their girlfriends and his 5-yearold grandson had also rented another apartment in the Locust

Avenue house. Two others in the house were also displaced and found a new home, Greaves said.

Greaves and his family are among dozens who have been displaced by fires during the coronavirus pandemic, a time when residents are urged to stay in their homes to stop the spread of the virus.

“It’s (a house fire) a very difficult thing to happen in general,” said Stefanie Arcangelo, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, which assists families after home fires. “In this time, adds an extra level of stress.”

The American Red Cross responded to 91 house fires in the state and assisted 230 Connecticut families between March 1 and April 15, she said.

Since then, the organization has helped two Danbury families in a Bells Place fire and a Newtown resident in a Riverside Road blaze.

Red Cross still provides the same assistance to families, albeit it virtually.

“Emergencies don’t take a break,” Arcangelo said. “In fact, there’s more people at home, so we want to make sure that folks recognize the dangers of home fires.”

Challenges facing families

Many families are already struggling due to layoffs, furloughs, the loss of child care and other challenges brought on by the pandemic, Arcangelo said.

“Having a home fire on top of that, it’s a very difficult thing,” said she said, adding the Red Cross can connect families with mental health care.

Greaves said his family have kept their jobs and maintained the same income during the pandemic.

“I’ve been blessed that way,” said Greaves, who turned 55 on Tuesday. He spent his birthday at his old apartment packing his belongings.

As a property manager for

North American Realty, he is considered an essential worker. His oldest son works with him, while his youngest son works at home with computers. His youngest son’s girlfriend cares for their 5-year-old.

But his apartment will take about a year to repair. His son’s and grandson’s bedrooms were destroyed, while the rest of the house sustained smoke damage, Greaves said.

Greaves said he saw many apartments on the market, but faced obstacles like virtual tours in finding a new place.

“It’s just been almost impossible,” he said.

He has a 6-year-old dog — which he did not have the last time he moved — but other than that, nothing had changed.

“I didn’t have any problem renting before, so I don’t know why it’s a problem now,” Greaves said. “I have the same job. I have the same everything.”

He suspects landlords are worried about renting to new people who could lose their jobs due to the pandemic.

“It’s just like they’re afraid to rent,” Greaves said, noting that logic does not quiet check out. “... You’d rather have someone in the house taking care of the house, especially when we’re essential workers.”

Greaves said he has not been worried about getting the virus at the hotel, which has only five other guests staying there as well.

Sometimes families stay in hotels the Red Cross refers them to, while others move in with relatives, Arcangelo said, but the latter might not be possible during the pandemic.

Older people and those with underlying conditions are particularly vulnerable to the virus, while people are supposed to self-quarantine for 14 days if they have it or have symptoms.

Adult children are also home from college, meaning more people need to be housed, Arcangelo said.