At the entrance to the buildings at 3, 5 and 7 rue Victor Jacquemot, workers unscrew the barricades. Access is finally free for the inhabitants of the Balzac residence, in the Fountains district. Five months after the fire, the danger order was lifted by the town hall of Tours, this Thursday, February 3. Of the 33 dwellings condemned so far, 29 are therefore considered habitable. Electricians and plumbers were responsible for restoring power and water. However, in reality, not everyone can claim to sleep immediately in their accommodation.
John Jacques, he is one of the luckiest. Located on the second floor of 7 rue Victor Jacquemot, it definitely done with the hotel. “It’s very moving to come back home., says the 76-year-old retiree. When I arrived, I made myself my coffee, I sat down on my sofa, and it was like a kind of rebirth, that is to say, I found my little habits. Tonight I’m going to sleep in my bed! And I’m sure I’ll have a good night.”
Asbestos rubble to be removed in the four duplexes
For Mireille, the situation is very different. The damage in his apartment is still too great to live in. The walls and the ceiling of his living room are moldy from the humidity linked to the watering of the firefighters during the fire. Her carpet is in poor condition and she still has to finish sorting out everything that needs to be thrown away. “There, I pile up in trash bags everything I no longer want. Moldy laundry, trinkets, damaged documents… For me, it’s very clear, I’m not going home until the bulk of the work has been done. I don’t want to sleep in an apartment like this, not even in the middle of the works. It would depress me.
This lifting of the danger order at least allows him to bring his insurer to assess the damage and start the site. “There, we have to redo the floor, the ceiling, the tapestry… In short, it’s not over.”
– Adrian Bossard
For the four duplexes still condemned, returning home will take even longer. “On the fourth floor of 3 and 5 rue Jacquemot, the judicial expertise is still in progress, explains Calogero Messina, the representative of the co-ownership trustee at Foncia. When it is finished, we will be able to evacuate the rubble which contains traces of asbestos. Given the age of the building, this is not surprising. Once everything is done, the apartments will be accessible.” But still not habitable. With the work to be done, the owners concerned still have many months to go.