The stretch of Acushnet Avenue running through New Bedford’s North End operates on a distinct rhythm. It is a neighborhood built on a century of arrivals, where old-school Portuguese bakeries and restaurants sit shoulder to shoulder with Central American markets and family-run businesses.

But the architecture that makes this area so close-knit – long, unbroken rows of woodframe buildings sharing narrow lot lines – also makes it unforgiving when fire breaks out.

On Sunday, September 20, the narrow avenue filled first with thick smoke - then with engine and ladder trucks, first responders and members of the community ready to help anyone who had to flee the apartments above Gouveia’s Grill.

Among the crowds were volunteers for local nonprofit organizations, including the American Red Cross, to care for residents in need of a place to stay.

“Often when there’s a fire, the people who are impacted will stay with family and friends,” said Ethan Ticehurst, Community Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross. “But in this case, most of the people in the four apartments upstairs were part of a multigenerational extended family; in other words, they were already living with everyone they know.”

With the support of the city of New Bedford, the Red Cross was able to open an emergency shelter within a short walk of the fire scene. The head of New Bedford’s emergency management department made sure families had everything they needed – food, shelter, and a safe place to sleep.

“He told me, ‘If we’re going to need a shelter, we are going to do it right,” Ticehurst recalls.

Although there was no fire damage to the apartments, the electricity and utilities were shut off while firefighters cleared the scene, then building inspecters reviewed every inch to make sure it was safe to move back in. 29 people, including a toddler and a school-aged child, spent two nights at the shelter.

A Community Mobilizes to Help

Whenever there is a disaster, the Red Cross works closely with other area nonprofits in order to ensure any and all needs are met, because no one organization can handle everything alone.

In this response, the Salvation Army provided dinner for two nights, UMass Dartmouth’s Dining Services donated two days worth of lunches for shelter residents, and the city of New Bedford arranged their breakfasts. Emergency Management teams continued to assist with resources for the evacuated families, while neighbors and volunteers helped translate for residents to ensure no vital information was misunderstood. And while it is never expected, even the residents staying at the shelter pitched in with whatever tasks were needed to keep it comfortable for all.

“It was run really well,” said Ticehurst. “Everyone who was able was jumping in to help, cleaning up, being respectful of the space we were borrowing. This is exactly why we do what we do.”