Residents look to recover after devastating fire at Desert Hot Springs mobile home park
While the fire has been put out, the devastating impacts felt by residents here, especially those who have lost everything, will continue to be felt as they work to rebuild.
Sticking out of the ash and debris, remnants of damaged items inside what used to be someone’s home.
9 were destroyed and five damaged after flames swept through part of the Country Squire Mobile Home Park in Desert Hot Springs. 12 vehicles were also destroyed.
Elicabeth Ojeda was cooking when her 8-year-old son shouted at her their neighbor's trailer was on fire.
“I went outside, but I never imagined the flames would’ve jumped so close,” Ojeda said.
She says she quickly grabbed a few things, the family pet, three children, and escaped.
“We went outside with the neighbors that lost cars, their home absolutely everything,” Ojeda said.
For now, Ojeda and her family are among 51 people staying at a nearby evacuation center.
“And about 20 of those are children, and so we’ve got games and puzzles and we’ve got a basketball court going for the kids,” said David Foust of the American Red Cross.
Foust is supervising operations at the evacuation center at Desert Hot Springs High School. They’re offering meals – water – and a place to sleep to those out of their homes. The County Department of Social Services is providing mental health resources while residents figure out their next steps.
“My trailer burned down, there’s nothing to recover, but perhaps some rubble or something is left,” Ojeda said.
Families have not been allowed back to the mobile home park as utilities have been shut off for safety reasons.
For now – the help of others in the community – like Miguel Hernandez – goes a long way.
“I brought out about 7-8 dozen doughnuts for the community out here to help out since I do a lot of work around the area. I felt bad,” Hernandez said.
