100 Still Homeless 5 Nights After Fire

Five nights after a Van Nuys apartment house fire forced 28 families from their homes, 25 of them--about 100 people--are still sleeping on cots in an emergency shelter inside a school gymnasium, unable to find another place to live.

Red Cross officials are appealing to San Fernando Valley landlords to temporarily waive costly security fees and deposits--often as high as $800--so fire victims can leave the hot, uncomfortable shelter set up in the Fulton Junior High School gymnasium in Van Nuys.

“It’s very unusual that this many people are still in need of the shelter,” said Anne Biege, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Red Cross. “Usually after three or four days people find another place to stay. But these folks have nowhere else to go.”

Officials with the Red Cross’ disaster services division have been caring for the families since the Friday night fire, which caused about $380,000 in damage to a 30-unit apartment building at 15855 Saticoy St. Families are sleeping on rows of aluminum-frame cots with fans set up around them because the gymnasium does not have air conditioning.

Blaze Started at Stove

Fire officials said Tuesday that the blaze was caused by a faulty gas burner on a stove in a second-story apartment. The occupants told investigators the stove was not working properly, and the burner had to be lit with a match. When a woman entered the apartment Friday evening, she smelled gas.

Within five minutes, while the tenant was opening doors to air out the unit, flames erupted in the kitchen, Fire Investigator Thomas Derby said. The occupants fled, leaving their hallway door open, and fire swept down the hallway.

“We found one burner on the stove that was turned on,” Derby said. “We do not know at this time how the burner was left turned on. It could be that someone turned it on thinking it would light and then forgot about it.”

Derby said the tenants told investigators that they “had just not gotten around” to reporting the faulty stove to building officials.

Two residents suffered smoke inhalation and one firefighter was treated for minor ear burns.

The tenants have been allowed to salvage their belongings. Many piled the smoky clothes and appliances in their cars and trucks parked outside the emergency shelter.

Many tenants, who paid between $475 and $600 a month in rent, said they cannot move to new quarters because they do not have money for a security deposit and first month’s rent. They are depending on the apartment owner to return their original deposits and the balance of July rent so they can pay move-in costs.

The owner of the building, Jorge Modovoi of Tarzana, could not be reached Tuesday. The apartment manager referred questions to the insurance company handling the fire claim.

Ron Stinchcomb of Golden State Insurance said he had been in contact early Tuesday with Modovoi, who was out of town.

Refunds Promised

“Jorge said he will give the money back to them,” Stinchcomb said. “It’s just a question of when. For whatever reason he said it will be next week.”

Other tenants said they lived from paycheck to paycheck and their minimum wage jobs as laborers or factory workers made it difficult to keep money for emergencies.

“Now, I am really worried. I have not worked for four days because of the fire,” said Martin Cardenas. “I lost my furniture, I don’t have any money and I don’t know where I am going to live.”

One man, Victor Sanchez, said he has found another Van Nuys apartment but cannot move in until he comes up with $775. He said as soon as his $475 deposit is returned, his family of six will be able to leave the shelter.

“All we had was enough money to pay the rent and buy food,” said Carmen Santos, 23, a mother of two. “Now we do not have any clothes. Our refrigerator, our television are destroyed.”

Speaks Only Spanish

Santos, like many other tenants, speaks only Spanish. She and others said they have been looking for apartments but have difficulty explaining their special circumstances to potential managers.

“It’s hard to explain that we were burned out of our apartment,” she said.

Red Cross officials are hoping that landlords with vacancies will contact their Family Services Division at (818) 781-2804 or (818) 781-2761.

“Our main thrust now is to try and find housing for these families in the area,” Biege said. “These people can pay the rent; they just need help right now to get them through this.”