Families Displaced After Building Fire In Miami
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A fire displaced four families in a Miami apartment building and the landlord of the complex has made headlines recently but not for a good reason.
The fire swept through a unit at 1732 NW 1st Court in Miami Friday morning, leaving a mom and her three kids homeless.
Eight year old Dontay Hester said he woke up and his bed was on fire. He and his sister alerted their mother.
"And she tried to put water on it but it got bigger," said Hester.
They're not the only ones forced out. Three other units in the building have damage.
The family where the fire started said they have complained for a year about electrical issues.
"None of the electrical outlets are covered and there's only one socket working. They say they will fix it and never do," said the children's grandmother Mary Hester.
The fire department says it's too soon to figure out an exact cause of the fire but the building was owned until recently by a slumlord.
A couple was forced into receivership.
Some of the violations at their other properties were exposed by CBS4 and included mold and structural issues, electrical wiring problems and roach and rat infestations.
While a new management company is pledging to make conditions more livable and at the other properties, the displaced family hopes someone will finally listen.