Fire Leaves 17 People Homeless in North Palm Springs
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The wind was brutal and caused the fire to jump from home to home. In the end 17 people were left without homes and the fire claimed the life of a family dog. Video by kmir6.com
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NORTH PALM SPRINGS--17 people are homeless after a fire tore through a mobile home park in North Palm Springs.
The fire broke out at around 12:15 p.m. on North Indian Canyon Drive at the Carefree Mobile Home Park.
The wind was brutal and caused the fire to jump from home to home. In the end 17 people were left without homes and the fire claimed the life of a family dog.
Freddy Padilla watched as flames pushed by 40 mile an hour winds quickly engulfed multiple homes.
"The flames were, instead of going up they were going sideways into the blue house next door," Neighbor Freddy Padilla said.
The families dog was home alone, Freddy and neighbors tried to get him out but couldn't save him.
"We kicked the door in and we could hear the dog barking and screaming but he just would not come to us," Padilla said.
Strong winds made the fire extremely difficult and dangerous for firefighters.
"All that heat, it blows it straight across and with about a 10-12 foot gap between them the fire just lays right over and goes right into the next structure," said Riverside County Fire Division Chief Bill Hunley.
11 children and 6 adults were displaced. Freddy says his neighbors are of course devastated and didn't even stick around to watch firefighters put out the flames.
The families are being helped by the Red Cross. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
--Adrianna Weingold
aweingold@kmir6.com
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