A safe return home for nearly 200 residents of 251 Donald street this morning after an emotional week in the city's east end.

April Bailey woke up to the smell of smoke and fire Wednesday morning; terrified by what she saw. "I just started running and banging on everybody's door and telling them to get out of the building and it's a real fire and after that i just panicked and ran in my apartment and got dressed and ran downstairs. Just horrible." said Bailey, who has lived in the building for four years.

Busloads of people, including young families, returned to the building today. Some residents remain traumatized, hoping they've seen the last of fires in the building.

"Coming back, I'm still shaky, I'm nervous. I don't know if it's going to happen again. It's the second fire in two years here." said Bailey.

Staying at nearby motels and Ottawa Community Housing facilities, returning residents like Sarah Cardinal and her husband and child are calling it a blessing nobody was seriously hurt. "It's a miracle!"

Though most of the 238 residents are moving back in today, the same cannot be said for those living on floors 2, 3 and 4. Fire and smoke damage, they say, is so severe in rooms and hallways, residents won't move in for another 6 to 12 months.

"They estimate 6 months to a year. They've offered me other units, but they're too high for me." said Ron Stewart.

The return home is the end of an emotional three days for Richard Saumier, who was forced to his leave his wheelchair behind during the evacuation. "The smoke was so intense we couldn't see if the lights were actually working in the hallway." That's when Saumier said he suffered a heart attack after encountering flames near the stairwell.

An electrical issue on the second floor is suspected to have started the fire that caused about $1.5-million in damage.