June 8, 2026
- Jun 8
- 3 min read
Dear Residents,
As we begin a new week, we wanted to provide an update on several significant developments over the past few days, including the release of the fire report, the environmental testing results, and the next steps in the recovery process.
Fire Investigation Report Released
The Riverside Fire Department has completed its investigation and released its fire report.
A copy of the report has been uploaded to our Recovery Resource Folder and can be viewed here:
The report concludes that the fire was accidental and originated during plumbing work inside the Iowa building. We encourage residents interested in reviewing the report to do so directly via the link above.
For residents with questions about possible claims related to the fire, the plumbing contractor’s insurance company has opened a claim. Please understand that this is not University Riverside Gardens’ insurance company, and we cannot guarantee what assistance, if any, they can provide.
That said, residents who wish to contact the insurance company may do so directly:
Hamilton Select Insurance Inc.Claims Specialist:
Michael Kleppinger
Phone: 804-256-2757
Claim Number: CLPC001010
When reaching out, please reference the claim number above.
We would encourage residents to contact the insurance company directly rather than contacting the plumbing company or its employees. The insurance company is the appropriate party to receive claim-related questions, documentation, and requests.
We will continue adding important recovery documents to the Recovery Resource Folder as they become available.
Everton Building Environmental Testing Results
One of the most common questions we have received since the fire has been whether smoke, soot, or other fire-related contaminants impacted the Everton building.
Out of an abundance of caution, ownership retained an independent environmental consulting firm to conduct both surface testing within Everton apartments and air monitoring around the property.
We are pleased to report that the results are encouraging and consistent with our observations.
Testing found no evidence of widespread smoke, soot, or fire-related contamination within Everton apartments or the building’s HVAC systems. The only elevated reading identified was a very minor amount of fire-related particulate on a windowsill directly facing the Iowa building. While the detected levels were minimal, we will still clean those exterior-facing areas as recommended by the environmental consultant.
In addition, air monitoring conducted around the Everton property showed results significantly below applicable regulatory thresholds, including at the monitoring locations closest to the Everton building. We will increase monitoring once remediation begins, but until then, we will take weekly samples, as the remediation team will continue working seven days a week to prepare the site and contain all particles.
As we move into the next phase of recovery, we will continue operating air monitoring equipment around the site while debris remains in place and until demolition activities begin. This additional monitoring will allow us to continuously verify that conditions remain safe and provide immediate notification should elevated levels ever be detected.
Overall, these results are very positive and continue to support what residents have experienced since returning home: the Everton building was largely unaffected by the fire beyond limited exterior areas directly facing the Iowa building.
Reimbursement Assistance Update
Over the past week, ownership has provided reimbursement assistance for emergency housing, food, and essential personal items incurred as a result of the fire.
We have now completed the emergency reimbursement phase of the recovery effort. If you have qualifying expenses that have not yet been submitted, please send them to:
reimbursements@urgliving.com as soon as possible for final review.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding throughout this process.
Personal Property Recovery
Many Iowa residents continue to ask about recovering personal belongings from their apartments.
At this time, access to the Iowa building remains extremely limited due to ongoing environmental concerns, structural conditions, and regulatory requirements.
We continue to encourage residents to complete the Personal Property Recovery Request Form so we can better understand which items they hope to recover.
As recovery planning progresses, residents will likely be asked to complete additional authorization and liability documents before any recovery efforts can begin. These documents will help ensure that recovery activities can be conducted safely and in compliance with environmental regulations.
Additional information regarding the recovery process will be provided as plans continue to develop.
Looking Ahead
While the timeline for demolition and debris removal is becoming clearer, we recognize that many residents are eager to see visible activity on site.
The reality is that a substantial amount of work is occurring behind the scenes every day involving environmental consultants, engineers, remediation specialists, insurance representatives, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
Although much of that work is not yet visible from the outside, it is laying the foundation for the next phase of recovery.
We remain committed to providing updates as meaningful information becomes available.
As always, questions may be directed to:
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation.
University Riverside Gardens Management