Listen
(Siren sounds)
Remember what it looked like outside the homes that were severely damaged by Hurricane Ike?Well that’s kind of what it looked like outside the Enchanted Fountain Apartments as people took what they could out of their rooms and piled it up outside on the grass.
Michelle Delgado was there helping her husband’s parents get their belongings.
“Basically they took everything out except for sofas and matrices and not they’re just trying to stick them in their vehicles to either move them to my apartment of a storage.”
Michelle says her father in law Juan Delgado smelled the smoke and did what he could to save his family and then helped the neighbors.
“My father in law went and banged on the door and for them to wake up.And they were wondering like what’s going on. And they heard the screaming so that’s when they knew that they had to get out. And they opened the door and my father in law told them that the place was burning and she just grabbed her baby and ran.”
Most of the fire victims speak Spanish only. Most of them plan to stay with other family members, but for those who have no place to go, the red cross is vowing to help. Chief Steve Cichon is with the Houston Fire department.
“The community has gathered together to assist the people that become homeless. Uh, this activity center right over here has been lending their resources to help them out, and so even thought it’s a tragic event, the community is really binding together to help each other out.”
Bill Stamps, KUHF Houston Public Radio News.