SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (KGTV) — Nearly 30 people are out of a home after a fire broke out at an apartment complex on Helix Street in Spring Valley.
According to the San Miguel Fire Department, the official cause is still under investigation, but the fire erupted early Monday morning and is believed to have originated in an upstairs kitchen in the stove area.
Four apartments total and 28 people are now displaced; Darlin Cedillo is one of them.
Cedillo said several residents have had issues with their stoves in the past.
"Some of them don't heat up as fast, some of them smell like burnt,” she said.
She also said the fire alarms never went off inside the four units directly affected. And that management had notified them just days ago that they had been inspected. Cedillo showed 10News a text message, dated Friday, from management that reads: “Currently at the moment we are testing the alarm systems. We will be done shortly.”
One of the units displaced showed 10News their unit is missing fire alarms altogether.
“It was bad ... especially for the mothers, they were crying,” said Ramiro Lopez.
Lopez is a neighbor doing what he can to help.
"We had to go to the office this morning to inquire like, hey, what is going to happen?” he said.
He says management hasn't stepped in to help and it's part of a frustrating trend: "Two years ago when the top unit flooded, they never fixed our walls.”
Another resident showed 10News water damage on her ceiling and shared it leaks onto her bed whenever it rains.
“They never fix it, never,” she said.
10News spoke briefly with property management who declined to provide a formal comment about the tenants affected.
“The thing is, it's so hard to find help. Today we called probably 30 phone numbers for legal representation, the city,” said Lopez.
Lopez said the Red Cross is providing some assistance to the displaced families, who spent the day outside their units salvaging what they could.
"They're mostly looking for guidance on what the next step is,” said Lopez.
If you would like to offer support to the displaced families, you can donate to their GoFundMe online.
You can also get in contact with Ramiro Lopez and the families he’s working to help at (619) 802-3323.
