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Disabled woman left homeless after apartment fire speaks out

Two people were left homeless and a puppy died after a fire at an Indio apartment Tuesday evening.

Rosemary Salter lived in the home that burned down.

“I turned around and seen the fire was everywhere,” Salter said.

Read: Indio apartment fire leaves two without home

In a matter of minutes, Salter lost everything in her home.

“All my mom’s pictures, and my kid’s pictures. My grandmother’s stuff, my daughter’s stuff. All of it got burned up. All of its gone,” Salter said.

She says one thing was on her mind at the time.

“I’m trying to get my dogs out of the house, but the puppy, he must’ve ran in the room. and they couldn’t find him,” Salter said.

The puppy was taken to a local animal hospital after suffering burns, but as Salter came to find out the next day, her puppy didn’t make it.

“It’s been hard. Hard knowing the puppy just died,” Salter said.

Meanwhile, Salter’s friends have been helping her around, confined to a wheelchair, after losing her scooter in the fire.

“It’s terrible because she can’t move around. She has to wait until somebody helps her,” said Patty Castaneta, Salter’s neighbor.

Salter was reportedly watching her 5-year-old nephew when the flames broke out.

One witness said somehow the child got a hold of a lighter and started the fire. Salter and others say that’s not the case.

“He didn’t have no lighter and I don’t know how the fire started, but it started, and it came up all over. It seemed like it was all over the room,” Salter said.

“I know that kid never had a lighter because she’s very careful with the kids. She’s been taking care of that kid forever. I know her nephew. I don’t believe in that,” Castaneta said.

Cal Fire says the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Meanwhile, Salter is hoping to keep pushing through with love and support.

“I don’t know what we are going to do. God’s with us though. God’s going to watch out for us,” Salter said.

Salter said she is staying at a local motel and has received $355 from the American Red Cross. Her family and friends are accepting donations to help her in the recovery process. If you would like to donate or help Salter, you can reach her at (760) 600-3908.

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