Land once occupied by 24 units at Trafalgar East apartment complex on Post Road before an early morning fire in February of last year is being re-shaped for landscaping and possibly some parking, but the units won’t be re-built.

Attaching new construction to the portion of the building that survived the fire isn’t possible, according to Assistant Property Manager Lynn Lallo.

The section of the building that was saved is undergoing renovation, and should be ready for occupancy by September.  There are 11 one-bedroom apartments and 6 efficiency units, and the building will also house the office, which is being re-located from the rear of the complex.

The first call to 911 on the day of the fire came in at 4:30am and the fire was contained by 9am, but at the peak flames were so intense that portions of the building caved in and fire fighters had to be pulled out. One occupant, Eddie Meliese Jr., had to jump to safety from a second-floor balcony.

Fire departments from Warwick, East Greenwich and North Kingstown responded to the call and during the blaze an East Greenwich fireman fell through the roof, but was not injured.

None of the residents was injured and all were evacuated to a nearby church.

After the fire, the complex owners, Property Advisory Group, Inc., made units in their other properties available to displaced tenants. The community also responded with donations of food, clothing, furniture and cash.

Lallo says she already has three or four tenants lined up for the property when the work is done. She is taking applications now and would like to get as many potential renters pre-approved as possible to avoid a crush as September approaches.

According to Lallo about a third of the people displaced by the fire returned as other units became available. “They know the place and the value,” she said, “and wanted to come back.”