At least 15 Fresno State students have been displaced after a three-alarm fire damaged 14 units at an apartment complex near campus on Aug. 18.
The flame began in dumpsters underneath a carport in the Maplewood Apartments complex on Backer Avenue south of Shaw, Fresno deputy fire chief Rich Cabral told The Fresno Bee.
The blaze then spread from the dumpsters to the carport, engulfing the vehicles parked underneath, before spreading to the two-story apartment building. Eight cars were destroyed, two others were significantly damaged.
Of the 14 affected apartment units, eight were destroyed while three others were damaged.
Investigators did not rule out arson as a cause of the $2.5-million blaze and are currently working to determine how the fire started in the dumpsters, The Fresno Bee reported on Monday.
Seven of the displaced students so far have requested lodging assistance from the university, according to Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro.
“We’re in touch with the other students to see how we can be helpful to them,” Castro said. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation in case they need other kinds of services.”
Racine Babb, a Fresno State graduate who is preparing to return this semester for the credential program, is one of those displaced. She moved into the apartment about a month ago, her first apartment, she said. Now, all of her belongings are gone — destroyed by the blaze.
“You don’t think this can happen to you,” Babb said. “I had my roommate with me, and I just had my family with me. I felt OK. That stuff is replaceable. I am not. My roommate isn’t.”
Fresno State Housing was able to accommodate displaced students the night of the fire by providing lodging on campus, Castro said in the statement. Other campus resources, such as the Student Cupboard and the Student Clothing Closet, are available for students in need of food, hygiene products and clothing.
The university’s Good Samaritan Fund, which was launched in 2014, is an available resource for those students affected by the fire. The Fund assists Fresno State students who face unforeseen financial emergencies or catastrophic events that would prevent them from continuing their education.
The University’s Foundation Board of Governors donated $5,000 to the fund on Monday, Castro said in an email to the university community.
According to Cabral, the fire was first called in at approximately 7:25 p.m. on Sunday. He said firefighters faced challenges when they arrived at the apartment complex and found that the nearest hydrant produced no flowing water, The Fresno Bee reported. Fire crews were also impeded by heavy traffic on nearby streets and parking lots full of new students moving in for the upcoming semester.
Jake Lai and Chadoo Watudura are two Fresno State students who live at the Maplewood Apartments complex. Their apartment was two units from where the fire was burning but was not damaged by the flames.
“We were inside the house, and then we heard people shouting outside,” Lai said. “We stayed inside. We thought it was gunshots. But then I looked out, I opened the door and there was fire right there.”
It is not known at this time how many individuals’ property was insured.
Fresno State students who have been affected or displaced by the fire are encouraged to call Diana Karegeozian, case manager in the Student Health and Counseling Center at 559-278-6736, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
For after-hours assistance, students may call the Fresno State Police Dispatch at 559-274-8400.