Lives in limbo as customers wait to check possessions in Brookvale Rent A Space fire
The lives of hundreds of families, with tens of thousands of dollars of goods trapped in the fire-ravaged Brookvale self-storage facility, are in limbo as they rally to stop the building being demolished before they can salvage what’s left.
Manly
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The lives of hundreds of families, with tens of thousands of dollars of goods trapped in the fire-ravaged Brookvale self-storage facility, are in limbo as they rally to stop the building being demolished.
Customers of Rent A Space at Brookvale fear that potentially undamaged precious possessions will be lost forever if the structure is torn down.
They are considering a legal injunction to halt a Northern Beaches Council emergency demolition order to give them a chance to inspect and salvage their property.
But the Council said it ordered the partial or complete demolition of the fire damaged building in Cross St so the blaze, which began on Thursday morning, can be finally extinguished.
“The issuing of the order followed advice from senior officers of NSW Fire and Rescue,” it said in a statement.
There are about 300 storage lockers in the fire damaged main building and close to 300 in an adjacent building, not directly affected by the fire. The second building remains closed to the public due to the presence of smoke and possible contaminants.
Demolition of the main building was set to begin on Tuesday, starting with the removal of the roof.
Fire & Rescue said the demolition could take between two and four weeks.
Robin Hastings, who set up the RentaSpace Fire Support & Action Group, said he intended to take legal action against the business to prevent it from “illegally seizing my property and destroying it”.
Mr Hastings, and his wife Ines Gruender, have all their household possessions in the facility. The couple had packed their goods, including an urn containing Ms Gruender’s late mothers’s ashes, ready for a permanent move to their new home in Germany.
“Everything is packed in watertight containers and could be salvageable,” he said.
“We want supervised access to the building to check on out own property. We are talking about 40 years’ of family memorabilia, all our family documentation, birth certificates, everything.
“The business cannot seize and destroy our property without due legal process.”
Janie Rowland, of Frenchs Forest, said her family has about $40,000 in goods stored in the main building including three cruiser bicycles and an expensive dinner setting.
“I’ve got everything from my childhood and the childhood of my three kids, in there,” Ms Rowland said. “There are photos, things that belonged to my parents and grandparents.
“They could still be okay, inside a undamaged locker, but we might never know if they demolish the building now. It’s heart breaking.
“We can’t get a straight answer from Rent A Space.”
Steve Wright, of North Manly, has $10,000 dollars in automotive tools as well as household goods including his children’s toys and winter clothing stored at Brookvale.
“One of the kids keeps asking me if they can have their bike, but I have to say no,” Mr Wright said.
“I don't know what else to say because we don't know anything.”
In a message to its customers Rent A Space management said it was not allowed into the buildings and could not “provide an accurate timeline” on when customers would have access.
“However based on information provided this could be some weeks away,” it said.
Rent A Space said it would be “very unlikely” that possessions in the main building could be saved.
“It is important to note that at no time has Rent a Space pushed for the demolition of the building and has done everything within our power to minimise loss to customer goods.
“Fire and Rescue NSW are attempting to contain asbestos materials from the roofing structure.
Occupational hygienists have been engaged who at the appropriate time will be conducting testing throughout the buildings to determine safe access and safe recovery of goods.”
The cause of the fire has not been found, but police ruled out rumours an illegal drugs lab was housed in the facility.
Lifeline is reporting that people have been left feeling suicidal after losing possessions in the fire at Brookvale.
David Thomas, CEO of Northern Beaches Lifeline, said they had received a spike in calls and had contacted Rent a Space asking them to refer distressed clients to them.
“We can help with loss and anxiety, we have specialist help,” he said.
Counselling manager Barbara Rabbitts said she had one woman who had called them every day since the fire broke out.
“All her possessions were in the unit and it was her safe space as she’s been nearly homeless,” she said.
“Her whole life — the photos, the memories — has been wiped out.
“She told us that when she was at the site an 80-year-old woman collapsed in her arms and a cabbie had told her he was feeling suicidal.
Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day.