Fire at Maggie’s Place drives mothers, infants from home

By Joyce Coronel | January 15, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

An electrical fire forced the women and infants who live at Maggie’s Place to flee the home in the wee hours of the New Year Jan. 1. No one was injured.

Mary McManus, director of donations for Maggie’s Place, was in the Magdalene House when the fire was detected at 1 a.m.

“I heard the fire alarm go off,” McManus said, “but our fire alarm goes off a lot when people are cooking, so I immediately went downstairs to check.” All the residents were asleep, however, and there were no visible signs of fire.

McManus then headed back upstairs. That’s when she heard the moms shouting.

“When I got to the top of the stairs, I saw fire fall from the ceiling in the bathroom. I yelled for everyone to get out. I could see all the moms that lived upstairs and they all grabbed their babies and ran downstairs.”

McManus said she and the other women pounded on the doors downstairs to alert the first-floor residents to evacuate the building.

“It was terrifying, very scary,” she added, her voice trembling. “It was one of those things where you know what to do and you do it. You don’t have time to think about how scared you are.”

The entire home was evacuated in about a minute and a half.

McManus, barefoot and without her glasses, had managed to snatch her cell phone as she dashed out the door and immediately dialed 9-1-1.

The Phoenix Fire Department arrived quickly and was able to extinguish the flames in about 20 minutes.

A positive outlook

The main thing, McManus said, is that no one was hurt.

“The moms are very thankful that they got out and that their babies are OK. Stuff is replaceable but people and babies are not,” she added.

Mary Peterson, the co-founder and executive director of Maggie’s Place, said she was told multiple trusses as well as the electrical and duct systems, carpeting and drywall will all need to be replaced. Property insurance will cover the damages, but her main concern is for the mothers and infants who look to the organization for assistance.

Gazing up at the charred roof and pile of debris outside the damaged home, Peterson thoughtfully surveyed the damage.

“The primary thing is getting the moms their stuff. People are doing their laundry, trying to get all the smoke smell out of their clothes,” she said. “We’re trying to salvage the furniture and prepare the house as we’ll be away for a few months while construction is done.”

Peterson said they have been told it will take between two to four months to renovate the home. The Red Cross provided shelter to the residents and staff and barely a week following the fire, the women will move to a temporary home.

“St. Agnes has offered their convent, so we’ll be moving in there,” Peterson said. “Our hope is to have St. Agnes up and operational as things get stable so we’ll be able to welcome women there as we have in this home.”

Just two days after the fire erupted, dozens of volunteers swarmed the scene of the home located in a modest neighborhood in downtown Phoenix to help clear debris and clean up the mess.