Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Juveniles may have set apartment fire

Two-alarm fire hits apartment complex

The Los Baños Fire Department responded Sunday night to a two-alarm fire at an apartment complex that had been set ablaze barely more than two months ago.

Fire Chief Chet Guintini said the fire started at about 11:03 p.m. at the Carrington Apartments on the 1900 block of San Luis Street.

He said it appears that juveniles broke into a down-stairs apartment and set a fire that reached an upstairs unit. Both apartments were vacant due to a previous fire.

"On 8/11/09 we had a fire start in the lower apartment and reach the unit above," Guintini said. "We ply-wooded the apartments but juveniles would break in and start playing. We've chased them away before (but) indications are this was from problems with juveniles."

The apartment complex has eight units. Guintini said none of the people living in the other apartments were hurt in Sunday's fire.

Guintini said, like the blaze in August, this week's fire started in the first-floor unit. Guintini said the fire was out in about 15 minutes but firefighters remained on the scene for about an hour and a half.

Guintini said when the second alarm was called all volunteers and off-duty firefighters were contacted to help fight the fire.

He said 23 firefighters were called to the fire. Three fire engines and a ladder were used.

Guintini said he doesn't know the exact amount of overtime pay that will go to paid firefighters who weren't originally scheduled to work Sunday night. Guintini said the department does keep an overtime budget to cover such occasions.

Enterprise reporter Corey Pride can be reached by phone at 388-6563 or by e-mail at cpride@losbanosenterprise.com