Community rallies after Woodbridge apartment fire displaces 50 residents
The fire broke out just before 5:45 a.m. Friday at an apartment building at Woodbridge Center Plaza, displacing 50 people.
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The community is gathering together to help dozens of people displaced by a fast-moving apartment fire in Woodbridge.
The fire broke out just before 5:45 a.m. Friday at an apartment building at Woodbridge Center Plaza, displacing 50 people. Flames and thick black smoke quickly spread through the building.
“Everybody was asleep at the time and nobody was answering their doorbell. So she started throwing pebbles at the windows, she started banging on the windows, and people finally started to come out,” said Maria DeGrusso, a resident of the complex, describing how one neighbor helped alert others to escape.
In the days following the fire, DeGrusso organized a donation drive to support those impacted. On Tuesday, she and other volunteers distributed supplies at the Woodbridge American Legion, including clothing, toiletries and hot meals.
“I was just a regular resident there. I did not know anybody in the building, but because they are my neighbors, I figured this is the least I could do to help everybody. Because I want everybody to at least have something for their families,” she said.
The effort drew contributions from across the community, including first responders, local businesses and residents coordinating through social media.
Donations are still being accepted at the Woodbridge Plaza Center Apartments main office as recovery efforts continue.
