This article was written by BenitoLink intern Camille Mattish. Lea este articulo en español aquí.
More than two months since nine families were displaced in the Line Street fire, all victims that were placed in temporary housing at the Hollister Migrant Housing Center have relocated. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Deputy Director of Community Services and Workforce Development, Enrique Arreola, said the Migrant Housing Center housed eight families immediately after the fire. The eight families have relocated to either permanent housing or moved in with family members.
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign.jpg?fit=300%2C193&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign.jpg?fit=780%2C502&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign.jpg?resize=780%2C502&ssl=1″ alt=”The migrant center has housing in the form of small premanufactured homes, mobile homes, duplexes, and a hotel-style building for farmworkers during harvest season. Photo by John Chadwell.” class=”wp-image-65187″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign.jpg?resize=1024%2C659&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign.jpg?resize=300%2C193&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign.jpg?resize=768%2C494&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign.jpg?w=1100&ssl=1 1100w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign-1024×659.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w, https://i0.wp.com/benitolink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Homeless-Housing-sign-1024×659.jpg?w=400&ssl=1 400w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
The apartment building on 851 Line Street caught fire On Jan. 6, uprooting the lives of 37 residents. While there were no fatalities, there was one injury. Twenty adults and 17 children were displaced.
Multiple calls from BenitoLink staff to Hollister Fire Department seeking an update went unanswered. Hollister Management Analyst Monica Leon told BenitoLink the fire department told her the blaze “originated in the living room area, apartment A, [front] alpha side of the structure.”
Leon said the fire department is only aware of two people who were in the complex at the time of the fire. Both were in apartment A.
She said the cause of the fire is still not known and the case will remain open in the event investigators find more evidence.
Leon said that “per the hypothesis using the scientific method,” the fire department has eliminated wall heaters, furnaces, stove tops, ovens and candles as potential causes.
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