Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 12.25.13

12 | DECEMBER 25, 2013 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Troy Rallies Around Apartment Fire Victims

Fourteen people left Thursday morning, assistance was al-
ready pouring in, according to Foote and BEFORE THE FIRE WAS EVEN OUT ON THAT THURSDAY
homeless after an apart- volunteers with the American Red Cross
of Montana. Foote said that’s just the
ment building in Troy MORNING, ASSISTANCE WAS ALREADY POURING IN,
type of community Troy is.
burns to the ground
“Here we have to learn to help each ACCORDING TO FOOTE AND VOLUNTEERS WITH THE
other,” he said. “People pull together
here . A (church) member put a call out AMERICAN RED CROSS OF MONTANA.
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
for supplies on Facebook the day of the
ire and holy cow by that night we had six
The gymnasium is illing with furni- truck loads of supplies.”

ture and the attic is stufed with coats, A week later, Foote said the com-
clothes and blankets at the Troy Com- munity had brought in 30 truckloads of The Red Cross was among the irst thrift shop so people could get some es-
munity Baptist Church, according to supplies – bath items, clothing, furni- agencies, other than irst responders, to sentials.
Pastor Cam Foote. All of it for the 14 ture, and kitchenware – anything that arrive in Troy after the ire started. Lew Throughout the day, Red Cross vol-
people left homeless when an apartment might help the families afected by the Savik, a volunteer and disaster action unteers interviewed everyone from the
building in Troy burned to the ground in ire. Foote said they have received so team chairman based in Kalispell, got apartment building and then issued
the early morning hours of Dec. 12.
many donations that they were initially the call about the ire shortly after 4 a.m. each of person a temporary debit card.
The ire at the Pine Tree Plaza apart- worried about where they would put it. Dec. 12. He quickly called Scott Slavson, The debit cards are funded by donations

ments destroyed the building and tem- He said soon they might have to stop ac- a Libby-based volunteer, who was al- to the Red Cross. For more information
porarily closed U.S. Highway 2 on Dec. cepting donated goods.
ready on his way to the scene.
about donating to the Red Cross, visit
12. One of the residents, Eric Howe, hud- Foote said the entire efort has been Immediately after the ire started www.redcross.org.
dled over his girlfriend and their child as organic.
and people were evacuated, the victims First Montana Bank has also es-
they escaped the ire, according to the “This is a car that is taking its own were put up in a nearby hotel. But the tablished a beneit fund for the victims.
Associated Press. The heroic efort left path, no one is directing it, the commu- power was quickly cut because a power Anyone interested in donating can vis-
Howe, a former ireighter, with severe nity is just helping out,” he said.
line next to the ire was knocked out of it one of the bank’s branches in Libby,

burns on his head and back and he was Anna Fernandez, communications service. Savik, Slavson and some oth- Troy and Kalispell and make a deposit
transported to a burn center in Salt Lake director for the Red Cross, said her or- er volunteers quickly worked with the into the “Pine Tree Plaza Beneit Fund.”
City. The cause of the blaze is under in- ganization was impressed with the out- community church to set up a shelter. [email protected]
vestigation.
pouring of support from local citizens in The church also fed the evacuees and
Before the ire was even out on that
Troy.
opened the doors to its newly organized

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