DINUBA – Dozens of residents were displaced from their homes in the middle of the night after a fire broke out at Haden Apartments in downtown Dinuba.
The Dinuba Fire Department responded to the scene at the corner of Tulare and J Streets shortly before 1 a.m. on Jan. 13, where Battalion Chief Joanne Bear said five of the building’s 23 units were severely damaged. Thanks to assistance from the Red Cross, approximately 38 building residents, including 13 people who lived in the severely damaged units, found temporary housing.
On initial arrival, Bear said “crews were in rescue mode as we were still trying to get people out,” and the fire department, with help from Dinuba police officers, rescued six residents from second-story windows. Eight people sought medical treatment as a result of the fire but were released at the scene, Bear said.
Bear said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the department is still assessing the extent of the damage to all of the apartments. Units not severely damaged by the fire sustained smoke and water damage, as did the businesses below the apartments, which include Dinuba Medical Supplies and Gilbert’s Bicycles.
Residents remain displaced as water and power to the building was shut off; Bear said the Haden Apartments landlord is working with tenants to “see what they can do.”
With the fire comes important reminders about home fire safety. Bear said residents should always ensure they have working smoke detectors, as the earliest warning of fire is always the best. Regardless of whether someone is in a single-family home or a multi-family apartment complex, they should always know where their fire extinguishers are so they can access them quickly — and residents should be sure they have fire extinguishers in the first place.
Additionally, residents should take care when using space heaters, ensuring they have at least three feet of space between walls, furniture, curtains or anything else flammable, are plugged directly into a wall outlet and are in overall good condition.
