Firefighters check for hot spots in an apartment on Tuttle Avenue that was charred by a fire Wednesday evening.

A massive fire at a two-story apartment complex on the 600 block of Tuttle Avenue Wednesday evening destroyed two apartments and temporarily displaced about a dozen residents.

As fire crews from four agencies battled the blaze, dozens of residents of the Mountain View Apartments huddled in blankets, waiting to see if their units were affected.

About 12 people who couldn’t return to their apartments were forced to find shelter, Watsonville Fire Battalion Chief Chris Johnson said.

Red Cross volunteers who arrived to offer aid said the displaced would be sheltered in a hotel Wednesday night.

Apartment manager Veronica Rubalcava said a high school-aged girl who lives in the apartment came to her door and said that there was smoke coming from her stove.

Rubalcava called 911 shortly before she saw the flames.

Several residents reported that they had complained several times to Rubalcava about the stoves, which they said are old and dangerous.

The residents, who asked not to be named, said requests for new stoves went unheeded, and said they circulated a petition to remove the manager.

But Rubalcava said that she received five requests for new stoves, and had replaced them all.

Residents from the apartment in which the fire is thought to have started had never asked for a replacement, she said.

For the complete article see the 11-05-2009 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 11-05-2009 paper.

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