Four units damaged, but residents escape injury in Rossmoor Parkway fire

It could be said that Melvin Wall, acting in his role of Fire Safety Task Force chairman, was prescient when he told the GRF Board in April that it is alert neighbors that can make the difference in results between a fire that only damages a structure and a fire that takes a life.

The evening of May 4 proved him right.

It was a cool Sunday just after 6, and residents of Rossmoor Parkway, Entry 7 were preparing dinner or sitting down for an evening chat, while a hidden danger was making its way into the attic of building 3520.

The female resident in No. 5 (they have asked that their names not be used) set her oven to preheat. When she came back to check it, she said, she noticed a bit of smoke and problems with the controls. She checked a fuse box and returned to the oven where she noticed, through the vent at the back, flames.

She said her husband attempted to douse the fire with an extinguisher, but when that didn't work, he called Securitas and emergency efforts began.

The next moments were a whirl of activity. Securitas officers assisted the residents of No. 5 and their dog out of the manor and began evacuating other residents in the eight-unit building.

Meanwhile, Jane Ransweiler, who lived upstairs in No. 7, had been having a nice chat with a friend when she heard a “popping sound,” she said. When she went to investigate, she saw flames at the back of her unit. She tried to call 9-1-1, but when she had trouble with the phone, she and her friend left the manor in such a hurry, she left her shoes behind.

By that time, fire engines were on the scene and when she tried to go back into her home to retrieve some shoes, emergency crews refused her entrance.

Luckily, Entry 7 is a close-knit community, and she had a borrowed pair of shoes in no time. Along with a great deal of support.

The exact timeline of what happened next will probably remain unclear to all. Each participant in the event has a story to tell and there are variations on every theme. But the one consistent refrain is that neighbors, emergency crews and staff all came together to support one another and take care of business in such a way as to minimize (as much as is possible) the degree of horror the event might have incurred.

Residents displaced

In the end, four of the eight units were affected, with one being relatively undamaged, albeit probably not inhabitable due to problems with power and asbestos.

Last week, the insurance investigators were at the site and when they completed their investigation, the process of rebuilding would begin right away, Mutual Operations Director Paul Donner said. It won't be necessarily to tear down the building because the structural damage is all in the roof, he said. While there is a lot of water damage, there isn't much smoke damage since the fire was in the attic and the smoke went upwards.

The upper end unit -- Ransweiler's -- suffered the most damage. “Everything is gone,” she said - every ceiling is down and the unit is “covered in rubble.”

Below her in No. 8, Cynthia Robertson's place is also a loss due to severe water damage. Robertson was not home at the time, but was called and arrived home as crews were still on scene.

The unit where the fire started is not habitable, and again, water damage is the primary cause.

The home of Jim and Sybil Waugh, who have lived in No. 6 (and Rossmoor) for only one month, suffered the least damage, but it appears they will not be able to move back in for some time. How long is still unclear.

But they remained stoic, in spite of what appeared to be terrible luck. “That's life,” Sybil said, with a shrug.

Kudos all around

Third Mutual Director Bob Oliver, whose jurisdiction covers this entry, had many kudos for residents and staff and shared his relief that there were no injuries from what could have been disastrous. And, in spite of the devastating loss, he said he was “amazed at the apparent resiliency of the people.”

He credits GRF staff and the residents of the entry for pulling together in a time of crisis and helping each other through it.

Donner and the Mutual's Building Maintenance Manager Clayton Clark got to the scene as soon as they could and were on hand directing right away, Oliver said. GRF CEO Warren Salmons drove in from Dixon to check in and help get displaced residents relocated for the night.

“Staff did an excellent job,” Oliver said.

Meanwhile, neighbors helped neighbors. Other entry residents took frail evacuees into their homes. Warm clothes and drinks were dispensed.

“It's a very close entry,” Oliver said. “They take care of each other very well.”

The fire crew put out the blaze quickly, then interviewed the residents and helped them retrieve necessary medications and paperwork.

The Mutual's president, Chuck Sanderson was on site and entry coordinator Ellen Gatto took her job seriously, Oliver said, making sure residents got help and staff got information.

“It was certainly a team effort,” Gatto said. “All of our wonderful neighbors pitched in and helped.”

She also tossed praise right back at Oliver, said Counseling Services staff has been very helpful and added, “Paul Donner was wonderful.”

“We just have a wonderful community,” Gatto said.

Oliver said the unusual amount of resources and support the residents received was a perfect example of the value of living in Rossmoor. He said he hopes residents recognize how lucky they are.

Salmons said he was glad to have been there. What he saw impressed him. Though it was a terrible tragedy, he said he was touched by the amazing response from everyone, from the Contra Costa Fire Department to staff to residents.

He was impressed by the process, too. Once the fire was put out, the restoration contractor was on site to secure the buildings and begin the process of water extraction right away, Salmons said, thanks to coordination by Donner and his staff.“This went very smoothly,” he said.

And Donner responded that the process was smooth because of the residents. “It made it much easier to get through the whole ordeal because they (residents) were so calm,” Donner said.

Relocation

That first night, Ransweiler went to stay with a friend and Gatto put up Robertson and the dog from No. 5. The others were checked into the Lafayette Park Hotel with Salmons' help, transported by Bus Transportation Forewoman Gretchen Hansen, who came in to Rossmoor from her home when she heard there had been a fire.

On Monday, Counseling Services Coordinator Priscilla Tudor and her staff, as well as Joan Petterson, General Counsel Shannon Walpole's assistant (who also took on the duties of risk manager) helped with relocation and setting up longer term arrangements for the Waughs.

Counseling Services will continue to support the residents in various ways as the months go by.

Oliver said the residents of Unit 5 will be living in a manor owned by residents who are away from Rossmoor half the year.

Robertson and Ransweiler announced - with smiles and hugs - that they are soon to be official “roomies,” having already secured a fully-furnished rental on Cactus Court.

Four units damaged, but residents escape injury in Rossmoor Parkway fire

It could be said that Melvin Wall, acting in his role of Fire Safety Task Force chairman, was prescient when he told the GRF Board in April that it is alert neighbors that can make the difference in results between a fire that only damages a structure and a fire that takes a life.

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