QUAIL House

By Trevor Greenway

Seven residents at the independent living home QUAIL House in Chelsea were displaced after a fire tore through the home’s garage on March 18. 

According to Chelsea Fire Chief Charles Éthier, staff at QUAIL House called 911 just after 2 p.m., after they noticed smoke and flames coming from the garage. 

“The fire started in the garage, and it was contained to the garage area by the quick response of the fire department,” Éthier told the Low Down. He added that, while a cause hasn’t been determined, it was likely an electrical fire.

It took 17 firefighters about 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze, however Éthier said it could have been much worse. 

“Time is always essential in fighting fires,” added Éthier. “Every minute a fire can double in size – there’s a reason to call 911 before trying to extinguish a fire.”

Chelsea resident Dennis Walker was picking up his wife, who works at QUAIL, when the fire started and said that firefighters were on the scene within minutes. He said the fire spread quickly and could’ve ignited the rest of the house if the firefighters weren’t so quick. 

“Five more minutes and the house would have been gone,” said Walker. “The fire department was amazing. Thank god it didn’t happen at night, with the residents sleeping.”

There was only one resident and two staff members home at the time of the fire, as the others were out on a field trip. 

“Luckily, the fire happened during the daytime, and staff acted quickly to make sure that everyone was safely out of the house,” said QUAIL volunteer Lissa Heringer. She explained that the most challenging part of the incident is aiding residents, many of whom have intellectual disabilities, in adapting to new, temporary housing in the fire’s aftermath. 

“The most difficult thing for residents since the fire has been adjusting to unfamiliar homes and a big change to their daily routine. Our staff and volunteers have rallied to help residents settle in and adjust to the unfamiliar. They’ve really gone above and beyond the call,” added Heringer. “Our key concern throughout has been to keep our QUAIL family together under one roof.”

Heringer said the residents were initially housed at Motel Chelsea for the first few days before moving to Chelsea Vélo Nordic B&B. QUAIL has found a longer-term rental in Wakefield, where the residents can all stay together until they are permitted to go back into the home. Éthier said the home needs to be inspected by an electrician before the residents can return. QUAIL has no timeline for a return to the house. 

QUAIL lost everything in their garage, including a fridge, the residence van, equipment and more than 1,400 jars of jam that were ready for sale.  

“There has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the community from day one,” added Heringer. “We’ve had offers of meal prep, laundry services and temporary housing and accommodation. The QUAIL family is fortunate to be surrounded by such a caring and generous community.”

Éthier estimated the damage at $100,000.

Visit QUAIL online at www.quailhouse.org to donate.