AURORA, Colo. — Several months have passed since dozens of residents were displaced by two separate fires at an Aurora Condominium complex.
Since the November 2022 and February 2023 fires, many tenants have not been able to get back into their units to retrieve their belongings.
Back in March, about half of all the residents at the Club Valencia condominium complex in Arapahoe County were still waiting to return home, after two fires in three months made roughly 160 units uninhabitable.
One woman, who has been displaced for almost a year, reached out to Denver7 this week to voice concerns which were then taken directly to her landlord for answers.
“I was running around trying to get people out,” resident Erika Babb recalled of the Nov. 3, 2022 fire.
Babb said she lived and worked at the Club Valencia Condominium complex for almost two years.
The second fire sparked on Feb. 1 due to a cooking accident, according to fire officials.
Babb said she still hasn't been allowed back in to get her belongings.
"My life is in there," she said, "Furniture, TVs, clothing, shoes, winter stuff. I had to start over. I don’t have as much as I need because I had to start all over."
In April, there were renewed concerns about property after thieves began targeting the displaced units.
Denver7 reached out to her landlord, Jackie Perry, who said there is no easy solution.
"I feel bad for the tenants. I really do," Perry said. "It was a very unfortunate situation. It's been two fires — I feel horrible for everybody."
Perry said residents will not be allowed back until the HOA allows it, which hasn't happened due to asbestos concerns.
Right now, she said things are also in limbo because there is litigation between the insurance company and the HOA.
Follow Up
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"It was a very unfortunate situation for everybody and hopefully we get it resolved sooner than later," Perry added.
Denver7 spoke to a contractor, Zach Scott, who was working on-site and said things are finally moving in the right direction.
"It took quite a while to get there," he said. "There’s a lot that goes into something like this. It's a difficult thing to overtake."
While there is still no set timeframe for when tenants will be allowed back into their units, Scott said residents are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns in the meantime.
"Just try to be patient. We’ll communicate with anyone who has any questions. You know how to reach us," Scott said.
