Fire breaks out at San Carlos

Apartments evacuated just past midnight on New Year’s Day

A fire shortly after midnight displaced residents of the San Carlos Hotel Apartments for nearly three-anda-half hours, Yuma police said.

The blaze broke out at 12:08 a.m., Yuma Police Sgt. Lori Franklin said in a news release about the fire.

Officers with YPD and the Yuma Fire Department evacuated the building.

“We got told ‘fire everyone out now!,’ said Linda Clarkin, a resident of the hotel apartments in a message to the Yuma Sun. “So my husband and friend visiting and I got out ‘as-is’ and were cold.”

Clarkin and her husband were in pajama shorts and sandals, she noted, but the Red Cross, which responded to the fire, handed out blankets and helped those who were unable to return to their quarters with temporary housing.

YPD Lt. Don Willits said he did not know how many residents were displaced by the blaze. Clarkin described the damage as “inside only,” but was unsure how extensive it was.

“No one is allowed on the floor that the fire originated on and some from the next few floors under that area have been blocked off,” she said. “The spots with damage — those resident were not allowed to enter their apts.”

Willits said the building was closed for some time to allow fire inspectors to do their work, and some parts of the damaged areas were closed for safety reasons.

The Yuma Fire Department could not be reached for comment.

Residents were assisted by the Red Cross as they were unable to return to their apartments for some time, YPD said in its release; and the 100-200 blocks of East 1st Street were closed for approximately three and a half hours, until the scene was released at approximately 3:30 a.m.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

YPD encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call the YPD at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.