Aug 21, 2008 6:02 am US/Eastern
Conshohocken Apartments Declared Disaster Area
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. (CBS 3) ―
The federal government has declared a disaster area in Montgomery County where a massive apartment fire displaced hundreds of people.
Governor Ed Rendell said Wednesday's decision to call Montgomery County a disaster area means victims of the August 13 Conshohocken blaze may now apply for low-interest loans.
The loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration will help pay to repair damages to personal possessions and buildings.
On Wednesday evening, Conshohocken's borough council held a meeting to discuss the federal government's decision.
The District Attorney has found that the destructive fire was started by sparks from a welders' torch being used to repair several improperly stalled metal balconies. The fire displaced nearly 400 people and destroyed two buildings.
On Monday, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of several residents alleging the Riverwalk apartments were not up to fire code.
Displaced resident Mark Doyle surveyed the damage for the first time on Wednesday and spoke to attorneys about joining the lawsuit.
"I'm not trying to make anything on this, I just want to be back to where I was when I left that Wednesday morning, to be even, that's all I want out of this," Doyle said.
The building's developer said all safety codes were followed along with all safety procedures.
"In fact, these buildings performed extremely well," developer Brian O'Neill said.
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