Friday the 13th Again

Because February is the only month that is exactly four weeks (except on leap years), this means that all the dates in March are the same except the last three. So the only way to have two Friday the 13s in a row is for the first one to be in February. Which it was this year, same day as the fire.

Yesterday was our second, marking one month since it happened. The weather suited the occasion. After three days of warmth, we were hit by a blizzard. I didn't bring boots or a coat to work because it looked innocent enough when I left.

This was also the last day to fit within the building's original estimate of three to four weeks before residents could move back in. 

The bad luck came, although not as dramatically as last time. We received an update to their estimate saying that it would actually be about three months. Whether that is counting from the event, or from now, was unclear.

My brother's birthday was on the 12th, and that day some people came to clean and deodorize the items still in the apartment. Unfortunately, a few things were considered unrecoverable. Among these were a computer chair and some bar stools. The latter is a little disappointing, as Lee-Anne and I got them new as a housewarming gift for them. They'll be compensated for it by their tenant's insurance, but still.

There were also a list of things considered under review. Among these were some of my paintings. Specifically these ones:

 

It's too bad, as these are sentimental and difficult to replace. They also survived the first fire, which hurts to see them lost in a second one. If they are, we don't know yet.

Lee-Anne and I visited the apartment today. Her family had given my mother and brother a couch and arm chair from the home of Lee-Anne's then recently-deceased grandmother. Those pieces of furniture were sturdy and likely older than my mom. There was no indication whether or not they were considered recoverable.

One funny thing I noticed was that the worker's actually used their whiteboard. To write some series of numbers that I don't know the meaning of. Lee-Anne drew the face of a cat next to it.

Behind a mattress that was set against a wall, I found a piece of paper with a note that just said "NO!". 

A collage of family photos had its frame cracked.

We rescued my brother's cactus and brought it back to our place. It's only just due to be watered and looks no worse for wear. 

They Found the Arsonist

The person that caused the fire at my mother and brother's building has been caught. Here's an article.  

https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2026/02/26/arson-charges-laid-for-fire-at-kitchener-apartment-building/

They didn't release a name, but we know it was a 32 year old man. They did include a potentially non-exhaustive list of charges put against him. Most of them seem what you would expect of an arsonist, ie, use of a disguise and tools, disregard for human life etc. The only somewhat interesting detail in there is that he broke probation, meaning that he's likely a repeat offender.

When something like this happens, you always want to know why the person did it. Was it simply for the sensation of creating a huge fire? Was it to impact a large number of people? Was it targeted toward someone in the building, or the company that runs it? We'll likely never find out.

Here's another article, from before he was caught. This one includes a photo of him on the night of the event. I wanted to post the pic directly on here, but I think they protected the image somehow.

 https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/police-release-photo-of-person-tied-to-fire-at-kitchener-apartment-building/

 In my initial post on the topic, I mentioned the coincidence of it happening on Friday the 13th. At the time, the fire was considered non-suspicious. Now that we know it was arson, I can't help but think there may have been a bit of human intentionality on choosing that specific date.

The building has been sending us regular updates. Their present estimate is that it will take one or two more weeks before people can move back in. However, that might not be the case for my family, as they said that part of their restoration process is going to include removing pieces of the bathroom and kitchen, including the shower and cabinetry. This is only the case for people living on the first floor, which is where their apartment is.

We have been able to go into the apartment. In the emails, they said we would be able to go in for "supervised visits" which made me think that we would be monitored by staff. But you can just go, sign in and say what unit you're visiting and you can take your time. You just can't hang out or sleep there.

We've been able to get some stuff, like a folding mattress for my brother that he has from the last time he needed to stay with us due to a fire. He was just over, clearing out the bathroom and kitchen as per reccomendation from the building, so that they can do what they need next week. 

Fortunately, one of the requirements for tenancy was renter's insurance. Despite the fact that they didn't need to be provided housing, they're still getting $50 for every day that they're not in the unit. They're also getting reimbursed for the food that needed to be thrown out due to the refrigerators power being cut.

Every tenant is required to have all of their possessions cleaned. They will let us know when they go to our unit, and they encourage one of the resident's to be present while it happens. They're going about this in a relatively respectful way, but it still feels invasive. 

They have a rule against smoking in the building. This fire was like the ultimate chain smoker.