Family Had Moved Two Days Before into Apartment Complex that Burned

A forced the Maldonados from their new home – their first together. They had moved in just two days before the three-alarm fire.

Sarah Maldonado, 21, and husband Beto Maldonado, 23, and two children live on the ground floor directly below the area of the attic in which residents believe the blaze began. They were making dinner when Beto noticed more than rain outside.

"I looked out the window and it looked smoky, so I went out,” he said.

Firefighters already were at the scene and neighbors were gathering.

The fire, reported at 5:10 p.m. at the apartment complex at 900 Southampton Road, which is adjacent to the , left 10 families without a home.

Residents whose homes weren’t affected by fire and smoke said they’d been told to expect to be out of their homes for at least three days because the wiring was damaged.

The Red Cross set up an emergency command post in the rectory of the across from the apartment complex to help residents find temporary shelter, food and necessities such as diapers. The 12-unit building that was damaged is one of many in the complex.

Fire investigators from Solano County are helping the Benicia Fire Department determine the origin and cause of the fire. Residents said plumbers were soldering pipes in the attic of the building and firefighters confirmed the fire spread through the attic. Embers falling down the separation walls between apartments allowed the fire to spread downward, causing extensive damage to two upstairs units and two downstairs units, said firefighters. 

They used pike poles to knock holes in the walls of apartments to make sure there were no hidden hot spots. “We don’t want to have to come back at 2 a.m.,” said Division Chief Pete Fiori.

“My daughter was playing in her room,” Sarah Maldonado said. “To think it was just above her is a horrible thing.”

The young family got out of their new home safely – whisking their children, 3 and 13 months, to the safety of grandma’s house and returning to retrieve basic belongings they’ll need during their exile.

“As long as the kids are all right, that’s all we care about,” Sarah said.

The apartment’s new smoke detectors did not go off, they said, adding that smoke from the blaze had not crept into the apartment at that point.

Though firefighters were able to throw tarps over many of their belongings, some will be lost to smoke and water damage, they said. Their bathroom wall was torn down and the bathroom declared a total loss by the couple.

“It could have been a lot worse,” Sarah said.

“It’s a horrible way to meet your neighbors,” she added, shaking her head.

Benicia Fire Department Division Chief Nick Thomas said one elderly woman reported feeling dizzy and was treated and released at the scene. No firefighters were injured.

Units from six agencies from as far away as Vacaville responded.

“Benicia Fire Department has a relatively small force on duty each day,” said Thomas. “We rely heavily on the mutual aid agreements with and support from the surrounding communities.”

According to Thomas, the size of the response was because of the size and type of building. “A multi-story apartment building that has a lot of smoke and flames coming out and is known to be occupied has the potential for a lot of rescues. It is not uncommon for a structure this size to require a large and fast response.”