BATH

Bath Housing is directing those displaced by the Seacliff Elderly and Disabled fire to the Salvation Army.

According to Bath Housing’s executive director Debora Keller, the fire originated in an apartment on the first floor in the south wing at the Floral Street facility. Everyone evacuated safely.

In an email to The Times Record Wednesday, Keller said the cause of the fire was undetermined but the state fire marshal’s office is still investigating along with Bath Housing’s insurance company.

The Seacliff apartment building is a 40-unit, multifamily facility serving disabled and elderly individuals and families with incomes less than 50 percent of the area median income.

Keller wrote that nine apartments have been made uninhabitable by a combination of fire, smoke, and water damage and those residents have been displaced.

“While the American Red Cross provided acute housing and support for the displaced residents, Bath Housing is now working directly with individual residents to find interim housing until the facility can be restored,” she said. “Housing Choice Vouchers will be provided by Bath Housing Authority to affected residents. Building restoration plans are being developed; demolition will begin next week and full recovery of the building may take months.”

Any local landlords with vacancies apartments are asked to contact Bath Housing at (207) 443-3116.

Individuals and organizations interested in assisting in the recovery effort may contact Salvation Army at (207) 443-3611 to make a donation designated for those affected by the fire.

Tenants’ personal belongings, including clothing and furniture, will require cleaning or replacement.

“The partnership between the City of Bath and Bath Housing related to fire prevention, training, and inspections directly improved the response to this incident,” Keller said. “Bath Housing prioritizes life and property safety, as noted by recent inspections by the Maine State Housing Authority and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

dmoore@timesrecord.com

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