As the Triangle community mourns the loss of 24-year-old firefighter Andrew Brokes, residents and family members are telling the I-Team about the living conditions at the property where a fire broke out Thursday morning.

Melissa Reyes, whose father escaped the fire, said she is grateful he survived but is also mourning the firefighter who died while responding.

“He was an angel, to run in to save my dad and the others,” Reyes said.

Brokes died after the building that caught fire collapsed during the fire.

Reyes told the I-Team that she had visited her father’s apartment several times and described what she believes were unsafe conditions in the building. She said some units did not have windows and that one family had to open a door while cooking to let smoke out.

Reyes tells the I-Team she did not see a fire extinguisher, smoke detector, or other fire safety measures in the building.

Reyes also described concerns about her father’s living situation.

“I went there several times, and I’ve told my dad that these are not conditions that families and children should be living in,” Reyes said.

The I-Team reviewed tax records and found different occupancy classifications for the buildings on the property. Two buildings are listed as commercial, including one classified as an auto garage. A third building is listed as a converted dwelling. Durham County zoning records list the entire property as commercial and a converted dwelling.

However, residents and family members tell the I-Team that people are living in all three buildings on the property.

The I-Team contacted the property owners, Admiral Properties LLC, to ask about the living conditions and the tax record classifications. No one answered, and a message was left. The company had not returned the call as of Thursday.

Reyes said her focus is now on helping those displaced by the fire.

“There are 14 people here who need a place to stay, a place to sleep, a place they can feel safe. Please come and help them,” she said.

The Red Cross is offering assistance to people who lost their homes in the fire. However, investigators are not allowing residents inside the building to retrieve personal documents, including identification cards and passports, because the remaining structure is at risk of collapsing.

Editor’s note: Quotes from Reyes have been translated from Spanish to English by the author.

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