5:15 p.m.: We have put several calls into the fire department to clarify the number of people taken to the hospital. They have not returned phone calls. The building has been boarded up and a restoration crew is on site to assess the damages.

9:45 a.m.: Firefighters have brought the fire under control. They are not yet speculating on a cause. The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that two people have been hospitalized.

The fire was reported at 7:38 a.m. and the fire department declared it under control by 8:07. The building provided transition living services for people with disabilities.

8:14: A multi-alarm fire has engulfed a single story building at 4536 Spruce St. Thick smoke was pouring out of the windows and some of the residents of the building, which is run by Transition to Independent Living Inc., were being carried out on stretchers. We’re still trying to get better idea if anyone is seriously injured.

Two residents of the Windermere Court Apartments have filed a class action lawsuit against the building’s owners and management.

The suit claims that the tenants of the building at 48th and Walnut suffered economic losses and emotional distress because of the “negiligence, carelessness and/or recklessness” of the building’s management company, Windermere Court Management Corp., and its owners, David and Sam Ginsberg. Specifically, the suit alleges that the building was not equipped with proper fire detection and suppression equipment – things like smoke alarms and sprinklers – and that the management failed to inspect the building regularly to ensure that it complied with fire codes.

The plaintiffs in the case are Theodore Schall, who lived in an apartment very close to where the Jan. 10 fire began, and John Brendan (J.B) Farley, who has been a key organizer of the recent protests to allow residents to enter the building to retrieve their pets and belongings.

All the residents of the building have been named int he lawsuit and it is their choice whether to opt out.

As the lawsuit was filed today, residents lined up at the building to be given garbage bags with belongings from the apartments. Each resident who arrived at the building today was asked to list the items they wanted from their apartment. The items had to fit in two large garbage bags. Residents were escorted one-by-one through a gate to claim their belongings.

The demolition of the building is set to begin tomorrow.

Residents seem to have been granted limited access through a third party to retrieve some of their belongings. But that information is still conflicting and confusing.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s office is reporting that it successfully petitioned the building’s owners to allow some access. A man, whose name is reportedly Tom Vail, will be on site at the building from noon to 3 p.m. this afternoon and from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. this evening. Residents should report to Vail to request that belongings be retrieved. They will then be bagged and turned over to the building’s security, Blackwell’s representative, Anjali Chainani, said by e-mail. Building residents themselves will still not be permitted to enter the building.

Resident representative J.B. Farley said the situation is still confusing and that he is still trying to determine how the plan to retrieve belongings will work.

There has been no indication that a search for surviving cats left behind during the fire will be conducted.

Meanwhile, a crew from PGW was at the Windermere building today to sever the gas lines in preparation for the building’s demolition, which is now scheduled to begin tomorrow (photo left).

Protesters stand near a backhoe on Monday to prevent it from being used to begin demolition of the Windermere Court Apartments. (Photo by Daniel Brown, Wide Eyed Pictures)

The story of the Windermere Court residents and their fight to get back into their building has touched a nerve with many of us. It has gone from a story about saving pets and belongings to a story about justice and the struggle of regular people against a large bureaucratic machine.

There are no street demonstrations today, but the rally is continuing. The demolition was put on hold until tomorrow, but residents have still not been granted permission to enter. Maybe now is a good time for reflection as we wait for more news. Filmmaker Daniel Brown and his production company Wide Eyed Pictures has produced a wonderful documentary on the experience of Windermere Court residents. Please pass this around as it does a great job in helping people understand what is at stake here.

Here’s what Daniel wrote:

I’m so worried about the animals in there. Of course I’m worried about  peoples personal possessions – photo albums, home videos, etc. But to  know that there are living, breathing pets in there who have their own  feelings and emotions – it just kills me. That’s the drive for me to shoot this.

When I go back Wednesday I plan to focus more on the undamaged areas.  I feel the first video shows a lot of the damaged top, and I want people to understand how much of the building is still intact.

What you can do to help:
Write or call the Mayor’s office and register your complaint about the scheduled demolition. The city is reportedly the driving force behind the building being torn down so quickly.

Here is the contact info:
michael.nutter@phila.gov and phone number is 215-686-2181.

Here is Daniel’s piece:

A few protesters from today’s rally camped out on a crane parked nearby that was brought in for the demolition. (Photo by Mike Lyons)

Residents and protesters are back at the Windermere Court Apartments at 48th and Walnut this morning to rally for permission to reenter the building. Unfortunately,  the demolition crews are there too.

Reports come out of the protests now are that the city is pressing for the demolition of the building and that the owners are lobbying to stop it. Several residents who have snuck into the building in recent days to retrieve their belongings have said that many of the apartments have been ransacked by looters.

Former residents want to get into the building to look for lost pets and belongings left behind after the fire. The city has declared the building “imminently unsafe” and the absentee owners, who have not communicated with residents, have ordered the building to be demolished.

Here is an interview with one of the organizers and a former resident, J.B. Farley:

About 150 people gathered outside the Windermere Court Apartments at the intersection of 48th and Walnut Streets this afternoon to call for the building’s owners to let former residents in to gather their belongings and pets left behind after a devastating fire last month.

Protesters blocked the intersection, prompting police to close streets within a block of the building. Demolition of the Windermere Court building is scheduled to begin Monday. The organizers of the protest said they will file a court injunction Monday to stop the demolition until residents are allowed to enter the building to retrieve their belongings and look for pets, mostly cats, that are still missing after the January 10 fire. No one was injured in the fire.

The organizers also called on protesters to return to the building on Monday at 8:45 a.m. to continue the demonstration.

“People’s pets are in there,” said one organizer. “Their family heirlooms are in there. The ashes of their relatives in urns are in there.”

The city Department of Licenses and Inspections (L and I) has deemed the building “imminently dangerous,” which has led to the decision to demolish it. L and I offiicials have said that the owners of the building must decide whether residents can reenter. So far the owner, which residents say is nearly impossible to reach, has not granted that authorization.

The Walnut Hill Community Association has been very helpful to the former residents of the Windermere. Residents have advised us that any call for donations should go to Walnut Hill CA. They have a page set up for donations here.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell stood with the protesters. Blackwell has pressed the city on behalf of the former residents.

Here is a slideshow of Saturday’s protest, which lasted from 2 p.m. to about 3 p.m.