Betsy Guetre, left, and her partner, Trevor Janvier, shown at the donation room for the fire victims at the Tropical Inn. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

North Battleford fire

“I didn’t have time to panic”: Victims of apartment building fire recall everyone trying to escape

Jan 7, 2022 | 5:13 PM

Two of the victims said it was a close call for all the residents when the fire broke out at the apartment building at 1441 102nd St. in North Battleford Monday at about 1:25 a.m.

Police and fire crews responded to the blaze. Upon arrival, officers found the building fully engulfed. Multiple local fire departments and the EMS joined the North Battleford crews in responding to the incident. Residents evacuated the building, including several that were taken to hospital with injuries.

Betsy Guetre said she and her partner Trevor Janvier are currently staying at the Tropical Inn with many of the other victims.

The couple recalled at the time of the fire, they were at home in their two-bedroom apartment with one of their daughters and Guetre’s niece who was visiting at the time.

Guetre said she became aware there was smoke in the building and discovered that there was a fire downstairs in the laundry room.

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She immediately starting yelling “fire!” to alert the other tenants in the building.

Many were already in the process of evacuating.

“I didn’t have time to panic,” Guetre said. “I started knocking on doors trying to get everybody out of there, because there were a lot of people with kids. That was my main concern. I ended up knocking on every door as fast as I could, trying to evacuate everyone as [quickly as] possible.”

Janvier said he immediately called 911.

Guetre and Janvier made a rope by tying up their bedsheets to lower their family and their dog down from the second floor balcony where they lived. Then, the couple climbed down over the balcony ledge on their own to get out.

Once outside, Janvier jumped into action helping some of the other people escape from their balconies. He caught a little boy who jumped down.

“I ended up catching him and rolling myself backward. So the little boy didn’t take any impact,” Janvier said.

Then, he joined a police officer, with the two interlocking arms, to catch the boy’s two sisters and mother.

Janvier said at the other side of the building fire crews were helping a pregnant woman escape at the same time.

The remnants of the North Battleford apartment building that caught on fire Jan. 3. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Guetre said she and Janvier lost just about everything, including Janvier’s work tools, the children’s belongings, and some items of great sentimental value to Guetre.

Janvier said the family “feel overwhelmed” now, having to find a new place to live and start from scratch again.

In total up to around 40 adults and up to 10 children were displaced as a result of the fire.

The Tropical Inn is still accepting donations for all the victims of the apartment building fire who are currently staying both at the Tropical Inn hotel and at the nearby Travelodge North Battleford. Many clothing items have been donated, but people still need food, personal care items, toiletries and household items.

The RCMP reported two suspects are facing charges related to the incident. Twenty-two-year-old Keeanu Crookedneck and 42-year-old Naomi Jean Yellowtail are both charged with one count of arson with disregard for human life. Crookedneck has an additional arson charge, while Yellowtail also faces one count of breach of an undertaking. The allegations have not been proven in court.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow