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San Bernardino firefighters put out a fire Sunday, Nov. 1, at Mountain View Manor Apartments in the 1400 block of North Genevieve Street.
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Updates with details about the fire.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
A fire that tore through a San Bernardino apartment complex Sunday, Nov. 1, and left 17 people without a place to live was likely the result of arson, firefighters said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. at the Mountain View Manor Apartments in the 1400 block of North Genevieve Street, about a mile north of Seccombe Lake Park. The complex, referred to over the years as "The Yellows," is a collection of two-story yellow buildings with multiple units in each. The unit in which the fire started did not have a registered tenant.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“Based upon the fact that the unit was not supposed to be occupied at the time of the fire and the significant amount of burning that happened prior to our arrival, arson is highly suspected," San Bernardino Fire Department Capt. Jason Serrano said of the blaze, which damaged three apartments.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Smoke and flames were coming out of the attic of one of the buildings when firefighters arrived, San Bernardino Fire Department Battalion Chief Alan Duggan said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
To keep the fire from burning into an attached building, firefighters cut a hole in the roof so the flames would go up and not continue spreading, Duggan said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The fire was out by 3:25 p.m.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Two apartments in the building that caught fire were uninhabitable because of smoke and water damage, while a third apartment was uninhabitable because of the hole cut into the roof.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Thirteen adults and four children lived in those units, Duggan said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
As of 5 p.m., they were waiting for the Red Cross to arrive to provide assistance.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The damage to the building was estimated at $150,000, Duggan said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Many residents expressed frustration that an apartment manager was not on location when the fire broke out.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
"It's just crazy," said Brenda Adams, a resident in the complex. "There's supposed to be a manager on premises 24/7."googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Adams said she was upset that there was a person in an apartment that was supposed to be unoccupied. She added that the situation could have been prevented if someone from management were on-site.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
"They're always here on the first and third," said a frustrated 27-year-old Tiffany Echols. "I don't know where they are now."googleoff: all
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