Fireworks Suspected in Apartment Blaze

Nearly two dozen Anaheim residents were left homeless Monday when a fire, possibly sparked by illegal fireworks landing on a wood-shingle roof, swept through the top floor of one building in an apartment complex.

None of the 23 residents was injured, but Anaheim Firefighter Steve Phillips and Engineer Greg Moward suffered heat exhaustion and were taken to a hospital for observation. Phillips also was treated for first-degree burns.

The fire caused $500,000 in damage to 12 units.

“The roof had a common attic in places,” said Battalion Chief Ken Mastain. “If we had had any kind of a wind, even five miles an hour, through here, you would have seen the damage figure in millions of dollars.”

Two juveniles who are suspected of having used so-called safe-and-sane fireworks at the Clifton Apartments, 208 E. Clifton Ave., were questioned by arson investigators.

The safe-and-sane variety of fireworks, though legal in some cities, are not sold in Anaheim and are illegal there.

Fragments from several fireworks and pieces of the charred roof were being held as evidence by fire officials.

As the fire broke out just before noon, Cristina Amaro was loading two of her four children into the family car for a trip to the beach.

“I was in the carport in the back of the apartments when my daughter, Jessica, came running down yelling, ‘Mom! The house is on fire!’ ” said Amaro, who ran to her apartment, gathered her other two daughters and fled to safety.

“My daughter said, ‘Mom, shall I go back and get my shoes?’ I told her, ‘No! No going back in. Forget it. Let’s go.’ ”

Several hours later, Amaro sat with her children beneath the shade of a tree lamenting the twist of fate.

“We were all set to go to the beach, and here we are sitting out here,” she said.

Frank Bello said his mother, Bertina, and a cousin, Esteban Clemente, who live in the same apartment complex were on the telephone calling relatives in Mexico.

“Someone then started knocking and banging on the door,” Bello said. “They yelled, ‘Hey, get out! The apartment’s burning.’ ”

Bello said his relatives left the apartment quickly as smoke began billowing up through the roof.

More than 40 firefighters fought the blaze.

“We sent an attack group in and they had to aggressively fight this or it would have gotten out of hand very quickly,” Mastain said.

Six apartments were destroyed and six more sustained substantial water damage. The damage estimate was for both contents and structure, Mastain said.

The Red Cross arrived after being initially notified by fire officials that more than 60 people needed relocation aid.

“The fire department later discovered that their estimates were very high because it was only heavy damage to one building,” said Judy Iannoccone, a Red Cross spokeswoman.

Of the 23 homeless, 13 were children, she said.

“We will be helping them to get relocated with clothing, housing, food and other help,” Iannoccone said.