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Well, more than 100 people are without a home tonight after this massive apartment fire broke out in Riverside. This complex is just steps from the UC Riverside campus and some living here are students. NBC 4's Macy Jenkins joins us now in front of the complex with where things stand tonight. Macy. Yeah, Carolyn, this is about a mile away from UC Riverside. So, many of them living here are students. 150 people have been displaced. Many of those students are preparing for finals this week. Now, if we take a look at the apartment, Riverside City Fire is still outside. There was a hot spot about 2 hours ago that flared up. They had to put that out. So, they'll be monitoring this throughout the night. As for what
caused the fire, that is still under investigation. Flames spewing into the sky Friday morning. The septic just went up. It was a little explosion. After a fire erupted around 11:15 a.m. at the University Riverside Gardens apartment complex. Those inside rushing to get out. My neighbors like they were knocking on people's doors and like screaming like, "Hey, like there's a fire going on. Everyone run out." of smoke visible from UC Riverside, roughly a mile away.
I'm walking and I can see this giant like tower of smoke from campus and I'm like, "Damn, that's my apartment." Riverside City Fire Battalion Chief Garrett Coriel says the flames ignited in an attic shared by dozens of apartments. Our guys are going in. They're trying to pop holes in the ceiling and get water up in the attic, but by the time they get in, get in the attic, it's already extended to the next unit, to the next unit. 112 units were affected, 50 of which are a total loss, including the home of Katie Grogan's 21-year-old twins, Thomas and Thor.
It's heartbreaking. You know, how do you understand that your adult children don't have shoes. They don't have underwear anymore. It's uh It's It's pretty sad. She says one son quickly packed up his pet bird and two lizards, while the other was at Disneyland celebrating his upcoming graduation. I don't know if they'll even be able to go in to look for any remnants of their grandfather's memorabilia from Vietnam that was left to them. Um I don't think there's a floor left.
Firefighters rescued at least seven cats and one dog from the complex, but some pets are still missing. It's chaotic. It's hectic. I was mostly stressed cuz my cats were trapped in for the entire time. Um so I'm grateful that they're okay. The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Broadwell Park, and so far they've helped at least 60 people find housing and resources for the night. Now, the disaster coordinator says that UC Riverside is helping its students by offering up its vacant dorms as housing tonight. And as far as caps and gowns that were burned in the fire, those will be replaced by the university just two weeks before graduation. Reporting live in Riverside tonight, Macy Jenkins, NBC 4 News.
