From today’s Sacramento Bee:
Blaze displaces 16 families from Natomas apartments
Excerpts:
A three-alarm fire swept through the attic of an Natomas apartment complex early this morning before Sacramento firefighters could control the blaze. No injuries were reported in the fire at the River Terrace apartment complex, 2591 Millcreek Drive, but 16 families were forced from their apartments and had to seek other places to live.
The Red Cross was helping some of the residents find accommodations. . .
. the 2:30 a.m. fire destroyed one second-floor unit. He said the fire also
spread into the attic of seven other apartments upstairs. . . “We have 16 units that can’t be occupied . . .” . . .The fire was quelled in the apartment that was heavily involved, and then
firefighters fought the blaze that had spread to the attic of the other upstairs
units. “The fire ran through the attic of the upstairs apartments,” said
[Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Jim] Doucette. “(Firefighters) did a good job. I’ve been on a lot of fires like this where we have lost the whole building.”
My comments:
The nearest fire station to this location is Station 15 off Truxel Road, the same one that was first on the scene at last week’s devastating house fire in Park View that put a spotlight on our inadequate level of fire protection in Natomas, particulary in the areas west of Interstate-5.
One has to wonder how much the this morning’s apartment building fire situation would have been improved of station 43 were built and staffed.
Station 10 (5642 66th St.) had a company on brownout last night. That’s pretty far away, but I do know there are dynamics at play that can cause an unfortunate ripple effect. This was a “three alarm” blaze and I already know there is not sufficient fiefighters and equipment in the Natomas basin to respond to even a ONE alarm fire without resources from other areas of the city, let alone a THREE alarm fire, whether there is a brownout scheme in effect or not.
Thank goodness nobody was hurt in this one.
I’m betting the displaced residents are really suffering because many renters do not carry renter’s insurance.
Keith Sharward, Co-Founder
Witter Ranch Community Alliance
Member, Natomas Crime & Safety Leadership Team
THis is why people need to start thinking of Natomas a city that needs resources. Instead of a Natomas being a new tax base for the City of Sacramento. Not only are we neglected, but the city was well aware of the problems with flooding and emergency services before we came along.