Good things happen in Everett. Even when bad things happen – especially when bad things happen – people make good things happen here.

On Thursday, December 21st at around 10:00 PM, my apartment building burned down. It was and is a tragedy. All of my neighbors have been displaced, some lost everything, and one woman lost her life.

And in spite of all of this, I still believe in my community. When I reflect on that night, I think of all the people who came out to support us. I am struck by all the good I saw.

Colby Square Apartments was a charming, L-shaped building that had been built in the 50’s.  The apartment manager, Jan, carefully decorated the stairwell to the second floor. Old pictures from the Everett Library’s Northwest Room hung on the walls, and holiday, dollar-store décor kept the space cheery.

This was where the fire started, and with only one way up or down, there was no clear way for my upstairs neighbors to get down. Thankfully Elodio, the young man who lived directly above me, was quick on his feet. After getting himself down, he turned around his truck bed and helped bring people to safety. 

On the ground level, Elodio’s heroism continued as he pounded on doors, trying to alert sleeping neighbors. While this went on, his wife Karla was distraught. She covered her face with her hands and screamed. “My cat! My cat’s in there!” She shouted. 

In all the chaos, little Gaga had hid underneath the bed. An onlooker—one of many people who would turn up to give a helping hand—came to the rescue. Someway, somehow, he managed to get up to the second story, run into the unit, and emerge with the fluffy, white cat.

After that, police officers and fire fighters—the first responders who aren’t thanked as much as they should be—escorted us across the street to safety.  Underneath the awning at Welch’s Market, more strangers awaited us with open arms.

The two women working at Welch’s passed out bottled water and chocolates. They gave socks to my boyfriend, who had run out barefoot, and found a blanket for my little dog. After thanking one of these women for her generosity, she responded with, “We’re family here. This is what we do for each other.”

Others responded in kind. One woman passed out coats and scarves. A young man brought hand warmers. Neighbors huddled together, and comforted one another. In the midst of it all, Bayside showed the strength of its character.

The days and weeks following the fire were their own kind of exhausting, but more kindness from friends, family, and strangers made the process palatable.  

Personally, my boyfriend and I are walking away from this fire as well as we could be. Our belongings suffered some smoke damage, which is minimal compared to what many of our neighbors have gone through. For us, the real loss is in losing our community.

Colby Square Apartments was a special apartment complex. Neighbors knew each other, and looked out for one another. Collectively, we had all adopted a wandering, calico cat. After weeks of different residents feeding her and letting her into their homes, the building owner, Jim, took her to the vet and named her Colby. That’s just the kind of community we were.

And it’s the kind of community Colby Square will be again. Jim and his wife, Rosie, are planning on rebuilding. Keep an eye out for the sign going up on 23rd and Colby, inviting all to “Watch us rebuild.”

For those interested in supporting the Colby Square community through their loss, a GoFundMe has been set up for the Apartment Manager, Jan. Jan had lived at Colby Square for over 15 years, and lost everything. She’s a sweet woman who knit blankets for her tenants, and really made Colby Square a home. Any donations are appreciated.

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Michelle Fessler is a writer and political activist from Everett, Washington. She is a proud graduate from the City of Everett’s first civic engagement academy, Everett Essentials. In her free time, Michelle enjoys listening to old-timey folk music and reading non-fiction books.