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Displaced Foster City residents demand local emergency declaration following massive condo fire
Dozens of residents displaced by a massive six-alarm condominium fire on Sea Spray Lane gathered at a Foster City Council meeting to urge local officials to declare a state of emergency.
Displaced families ask for help
FOSTER CITY, Calif. - Dozens of residents displaced by a massive six-alarm condominium fire gathered at a Foster City Council meeting on Monday night to urge local officials to declare a state of emergency.
The Aug. 2 blaze completely gutted a large residential building at 815 Sea Spray Lane, leaving seniors and families with young children displaced with few belongings. Affected community members say that declaring a local emergency would escalate the disaster to state authorities and open up much-needed resources to help them rebuild their lives.
"Imagine losing your home overnight, and then imagine that happening to you and nearly 50 of your neighbors at the same time," Kelley Salomaa said during the meeting. "We’ve asked the city to declare a local state of emergency, so this disaster can be escalated to the state, and we have been told that declaration is not necessary. We strongly disagree."
Community members asked the council to formally consider their request for an emergency declaration at its next meeting.
A spokesperson for Foster City offered no comment on the matter Monday.
Arrest made in Foster City condo fire
An arrest has been made in connection with a fire that destroyed a Foster City condominium complex and displaced more than 150 residents, authorities said.
Residents push back vs. federal loan
Rather than pursuing a local state of emergency declaration, Foster City officials noted plans to pursue assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration, which could provide low-interest disaster loans to renters and homeowners.
Displaced residents criticized the strategy, arguing that taking on debt is an unreasonable expectation for families who lost everything in the blaze.
"We would really like the city to understand that offering a loan to people that have nothing and they want us to take on additional burden, just doesn’t sound logical," said Irene Shimizu, who lived at the Sea Spray Lane property with her husband, Stan.
The couple recalled escaping the burning structure with only the clothes on their backs.
"We got a hotel for that night, went out at 10 o’clock that night, could still see the flames," Shimizu said. "The next morning, 9 a.m., could still see the flames. That was devastating."
Other displaced residents voiced similar frustration regarding the lack of immediate aid options from local government leadership.
"If you ask me, we lost everything, so there’s nothing else to lose," said Ricky Liboro, whose family watched their home burn. "I just wish they could feel more love, compassion, what do they have to help us, instead of us trying to beg for something to help us, and that’s why we’re here."