Tijuana fire leaves 70 people homeless
Tijuana fire leaves 70 people homeless
08 December 2017
Published by http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com
USA – Seventy people were left homeless in Tijuana after a fire on Thursday evening destroyed 21 houses off the free road to Rosarito Beach in the neighborhood of Aguaje de la Tuna, city officials said.
No one was injured in the fire, which was started when an area resident lit a pile of trash, Tijuana Fire Chief Carlos Gopar said at a news conference on Friday. Some 500 people had to be evacuated as firefighters fought the flames, he said.
“Twenty-one families lost their homes because someone had the great idea to burn trash,” Gopar said
Of the 70 people left homeless by the fire, 23 were minors, Gopar said. Most were taken in by friends and relatives. Five families with nowhere to go were brought to a shelter, Levantando Corazones, where they were provided with food, blankets and mattresses.
From Tuesday through 9 a.m. Friday, firefighters responded to 311 incidents. Most were brush fires, city officials said, but there were also several dozen residential fires.