Columbia Hills Retirement Center has risen from the ashes, welcoming back residents of the facility with a ceremony just over 18 months after a deadly fire claimed the life of one resident and displaced others.
The fire took place in October of 2022 at Columbia Hills Retirement Center at 36050 Pittsburg Road in St. Helens. An explosion and subsequent fire took the life of one resident and caused significant damage to one of the facility’s wings.
Due to the damage to the building, 31 of the tenants were forced to relocate. While many returned within a few months, completing the facility’s restoration marked the return of all residents to the retirement center. The completion of the A-wing allowed six residents to return to their rooms. The restored wing has 12 rooms and was repaired to the level it had been previously, paid for by insurance.
Originally expected to be finished in November of 2023, delays were caused by the changing costs of materials and challenges in installing the new fire alarm and sprinkler system.
To celebrate the completion of the project, Columbia Hills held a “Welcome Home Party” on May 8 for residents and the first responders who assisted in rescuing residents on the night of the fateful fire.
Rick Langston is one of the residents who was welcomed home to the A-wing, and he talked about his journey getting back to his home.
“It’s a relief to have my own place again, it’s been a long time but it’s good to be back,” Langston said.
Langston said he’s relieved there’s a new sprinkler system in place to help mitigate future fires but that it took a long time for him to recover from the fire.
“It took me a while after the fire; I had nightmares; I barely got out. So, I’m pretty much over that, and I don’t have any fear of being back,” Langston said.
Langston said he misses the way his apartment was before and that it’s an adjustment but that everything is “nice, new, and fresh” and that it’s “good to be back.”
The Welcome Home Party
Elderserv Board member and Treasurer of Columbia Hills Ellen Bailey described what it meant to see the project finally done.
“It’s good to see everybody back. The residents struggled being separate. Living in separate places, they couldn’t just walk out of their room and say hi to somebody,” Bailey said. “We really pushed as hard as we could to get them back as soon as we could. Everything is back better than it was, and we’re excited about that.”
During the party, residents mingled with representatives from many of the companies and agencies that helped with construction, emergency response, and supporting tenants while they were displaced.
The event featured an address from Elderserv board chair Debra Elliot, as well as addresses from Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) Chief Eric Smythe, and EMS Division Chief and Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole.
Smythe began his address by saying he was there that night and thanked the local law enforcement and other responding fire departments. He noted that the new wing now includes a sprinkler system, which is a welcome update to the facility’s fire safety.
Addressing the gathered crowd, Elliot thanked first responders for their efforts in keeping the residents safe before discussing what the completion of the project has meant to her and the Columbia Hills board.
“We’re here in celebration of A-wing and having everybody back under the same roof,” Elliot said. “We’re also here to acknowledge that fire and what happened that night. That night, St. Helens police officers who were first on the scene, and CRFR came to discover the A-wing on fire. They went door to door, and window to window getting everyone out to safety.”
Elliot then asked the group to take a moment of silence in honor of the resident who passed that night and the others who had passed away since the fire and before the project was completed. Elliot thanked the neighboring facility, Spring Meadows Assisted Living Community, and Best Western for helping house residents in the wake of the fire.
Elliot said she was overwhelmed by the positivity of the residents as they met the challenges brought on by the tragedy. She also talked about the continued support of the community as the project took longer than anticipated. Elliot expressed that there were too many people to thank between agencies in the county and city that helped support the organization and its residents. Elliot said that local businesses donated food, that Boy Scout Troop 106 held a donation drive, and community members set up a GoFundMe to raise funds.
Elliot also thanked members of the Elderserv board. Elderserv is the non-profit that helps manage both Spring Meadows Assisted Living and Columbia Hills Retirement Center.
“Both facilities continue to operate as a non-profit. This is something that people don’t realize,” Elliot said. “This is a group of people who come together as volunteers to provide oversight of the buildings.”
Community Effort
Both Bailey and Elliot expressed that it was the generosity of the community that helped Columbia Hills and its residents get back on their feet. In addition to cash donations, people donated bedding, shoes, and everyday items for tenants who lost everything in the fire.
“We’re lucky to live in a small town community where people are willing to step up and help and care,” Bailey said.
Langston echoed Bailey’s sentiment regarding how the community came together in support of him and others in his position.
“I really appreciate the fact that we all got so much support from the community and the management team here,” Langston said. “They’ve been pretty good. Very supportive getting things that I needed and making sure that the transition was smooth.”
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