Lodi Boarding House Fire Leaves Nearly 50 Looking For Housing
LODI (CBS13) — Scary moments for residents at a hotel and boarding facility in Lodi Wednesday night after heavy smoke and flames forced nearly 50 people out on the street.
This is the second fire that happened right on Main Street in the last five months.
Fire inspectors were out in the afternoon just like they were earlier this year. The two buildings on Main St. were damaged by fire and caused many people to be displaced.
Valerie Carl of Lodi has spent the Thursday at the First Baptist Church playing with her dogs. She is figuring out what to do next after a fire damaged part of the hotel she called home.
"The smoke alarm went off, and it wasn't a false one. It goes quite often because people are smoking where they are not supposed to smoke," Cark said.
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Rising rent forced Carl from the Bay Area to the Valley 25 years ago. She moved to the Golden Era Hotel and Boarding House recently because she's on disability and this is what she can afford, but now who knows where she will end up.
"I won't be able to do it. I was homeless before this," Carl said.
Surveillance video from next door shows tenants watching firefighters go into the structure to put out the flames. Lodi Fire is investigating the cause, but residents say the saw smoke coming from the building's basement. Nearly 50 people were displaced.
"One of the gentlemen come running by our room and told us there is a fire that we had to leave so, my wife jumped up and we left," said resident Harvey Smith.
In February, close to 50 people living next door at the Star Hotel were also displaced after a two-alarm fire broke out. Now another "vacated building" sign has gone up on Main Street.
"Man, it's a sad thing to see. First the Star, now the Golden Era. It's like, where are they all going to end up? I live around the corner by whole life, and I see the way the homeless is going on around here. It's just sad to see. Lodi is really going to be struggling a lot with this place gone," said Jay Barajas, who lives nearby.
The manager at the Golden Era said most of the damage happened in the lower level of the structure. The Red Cross has set up a temporary shelter at the First Baptist Church. The investigation is on-going.