It has been about eight months since the accident on Bauskas Street. Andris Vikse, the resident responsible for building affairs, lives with his wife in a flat on the ground floor of this building. He recalls how it all happened at the time.

“2 January. Afternoon. I’d gone out nearby. It was a Friday, and of course everyone was still in a bit of a daze. I’d just left and was about four minutes away when a friend rang me and said, ‘Our block’s gone up in flames.’ S...