Displaced Chinatown residents getting help after massive fire destroys apartment building
CHINATOWN, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The City of Los Angeles is offering help to dozens of people who were displaced by a massive fire that ripped through an apartment building in Chinatown.
The fire broke out Friday morning inside a vacant building before the flames spread to a nearby apartment complex. About 70 residents were displaced as a result.
Six people were injured, including a 90-year-old man who was rescued from the three-story building. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The city set up an assistance center at a Red Cross shelter, a one-stop shop to get them the help they need.
"Anyone going through a disaster just as they have, it's going to be very challenging for them, it is going to be emotional for them as well," said Nancy Castles with the American Red Cross.
"We have housing, we have medical services," said Brenda Rodriguez with the L.A. Emergency Management Department. "A lot of the individuals impacted were elderly individuals. There were pets and there were also several children that were impacted."
Most of the affected were Chinese. Volunteer translators responded to help them access those services.
Officials say one of the biggest concerns is their emotional well-being.
"That's something people forget, the emotional part of it. The traumatic part of it," Rodriguez added. "This was a fire. Some people lost everything and we want to make sure they have services available to them and help them get back on their feet."
Meanwhile, arson investigators are working to determine what caused the fire.
