Fire in a Dufferin Street apartment building in Stanstead May 20. Photo courtesy Régie Incendie Memphrémagog Est
Eyewitness talks May 20 Stanstead fire
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
On the night of May 20, 16 residents lost their homes due to a fire in a Stanstead apartment building on Dufferin Street.
One of those unfortunate people was Paul Nahirniak, who spoke with The Record May 28 to tell his story of that night and the daring escapes some tenants had to make from the burning building before firefighters arrived. He is still trying to find and thank one nearby local, an unnamed hero with a ladder that proved crucial to the rescue.
Nahirniak’s account begins with him watching a hockey game with his wife. His nephew, who was visiting, came in from outside and said he saw a tree on fire. Nahirniak pictured a tree outside burning, and prompted his wife to check. She discovered that it was a Christmas tree on her upstairs neighbour’s apartment’s balcony, “blazing and sparking away.”
Nahirniak, knowing his neighbour upstairs was inside their apartment, immediately ran out, yelling at them and calling 911 around 10:16 p.m. He also banged on a nearby neighbour’s door to wake her up, as she was asleep.
“I hammered and banged on that door like bloody murder to get her up,” he said.
The neighbours upstairs were in a panic, unable to escape as the balcony was blocked. A woman inside tried to douse the flames with water. A man in the apartment eventually managed to get a child out of a window, and another man, who Nahirniak referred to as the “ladder guy,” helped to lower both children there down.
Nahirniak noted the serendipitous placement of a ladder by a neighbour the day before, which proved crucial during the emergency. Subsequently, the “ladder guy” went back, fetched the ladder, and helped the two adults come down safely.
Nahirniak expressed a strong desire to meet and thank the “ladder guy,” who he described as a regular citizen who helped in the crisis, and whose quick action with the ladder likely prevented a dire situation.
“I need to see this man. I need to give him a hug. I haven’t met him yet since that night,” Nahirniak said. The trapped family would have had to jump from the second story without his help, he insisted.
When asked about his current situation, Nahirniak mentioned that he has family support but is dealing with significant psychological problems, including anxiety and panic attacks, and is seeking an English-speaking psychologist. He expressed concern about his insurance, but said his family is managing.
“The adjusters came yesterday and took 360-degree pictures and everything,” he said, “and we’re waiting for them to come and remove all the content now.”
His neighbour, “Carol,” missed out on some Red Cross support because she had to leave due to exhaustion. She also had to put down her dog due to smoke inhalation, adding to her distress.
In the aftermath, Nahirniak is advocating for greater awareness of fire safety regulations, particularly regarding the prohibition of barbecues on wooden balconies in multi-storey buildings. He has been taking photographs of such violations around town and plans to bring these issues to the next town hall meeting to raise awareness and prevent future incidents.