Families rally to help seniors displaced by Darby House fire
Henrico County secured 49 hotel rooms at the Marriott at Virginia Center Commons for displaced residents as families work to recover medications and mobility equipment
When Mickey Spencer arrived at Darby House senior apartments in eastern Henrico Sunday morning and saw the damage from the night before, the reality of what had happened set in.
"When you come and look at it and actually see it, it's a different kind of real," Spencer said.
Spencer's friend and former classmate are among the more than 60 seniors displaced when a three-alarm fire tore through the four-story building late Saturday night. Henrico Fire crews battled intense flames in extreme heat while evacuating residents, many of whom had mobility issues.
Now, Spencer said the challenge is helping her friend access belongings, medications and mobility equipment still inside the damaged building.
Rob Rowley, Henrico's Emergency Management Chief, said the county recognized early on that a traditional shelter would not meet the needs of this population.
"This population has unique needs that are just not appropriately addressed in a congregate shelter," Rowley said.
The county assisted the American Red Cross by paying for 49 hotel rooms at the Marriott at Virginia Center Commons. GRTC bused residents there after they were rescued from the fire. Rowley said the rooms are secured through Wednesday to give the Red Cross and the property owner time to work on longer-term solutions.
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