Days after a fire displaced 75 Vista View Apartment residents, the Rialto City Council has moved to set up a $100,000 disaster relief fund and mobilize donations to help affected families.
The fire broke out around 5 p.m. last Friday. Rialto police officers and neighbors initiated evacuations, actions city officials say likely saved lives. The blaze was contained within two hours with support from neighboring fire agencies, but several units were left uninhabitable.
Families, including those with young children, were evacuated to Simpson Elementary School, where the American Red Cross coordinated temporary shelter and emergency services.
On Tuesday, the council unanimously voted to create a disaster relief fund that will allow the city to contribute general fund dollars and accept donations from the public, private businesses, and community organizations. City staff were directed to establish a budget for the fund, set up a claims process for residents, and identify how assistance will be distributed.
Mayor Joe Baca Sr. says it’s the city’s responsibility to try to support those impacted.
“We really appreciate the Hispanic coalition… but we’d like to make sure that [there is] accountability in terms of city funds,” said Baca.
Local nonprofit groups have been providing immediate assistance since the night of the fire, including the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) and the Hispanic Small Business Coalition, which secured hotel rooms and provided food and basic necessities.
Frank Montes, representing the Hispanic Small Business Coalition, told council members that families remain in urgent need.
“There’s more families in need, because we’re paying for the rooms… They have no clothes, no bedding, nothing,” he said. “Our priority is the families, period.”
Montes says that keeping families together in one location helps minimize trauma for children affected by the disaster.
“We will continue to help feed them every day, and just make sure that the mental health of these kids,” said Montes. “The trauma…that’s another thing that we are making sure that we deal with.”
Residents shared on Tuesday night that they continue to grapple with loss and uncertainty. Carlos Monroy, who was at the hospital with his wife and newborn baby when the fire started, said a Ring camera alert showed firefighters inside his unit.
“Lucky for us, my wife, actually, her mom, has a spare room that we’re staying in,” said Monroy. “So thank God for that, or else I don’t have family down here, so I’d have been left homeless, you could say.”
The council is expected to revisit details at its next meeting, including who will oversee the fund and how assistance will be distributed. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
