By Nathan Baca, News Channel 3 Reporter
nbaca@kesq.com
PALM SPRINGS - Residents are still being relocated after an apartment fire Wednesday night. The Andalucia complex had 3 fires within the past year.
News Channel 3 has uncovered a pattern of fire safety allegations surrounding several other local complexes owned by the same company.
The cause of Wednesday night's fire at the Andalucia apartments is now officially labeled as a cooking accident according to Palm Springs Fire Department.
But displaced residents, including Jessie Romero, remained concerned about fire safety at these older apartment buildings. "In order to make that apartment safe, they have to spend the money and put the sprinkler system in," says Romero.
The owner of this apartment complex is Desert Shadows Property Management company. They own 11 complexes in Palm Springs and Cathedral City.
News Channel 3 has uncovered a series of safety and security complaints by residents at these properties. After a may fire at their Continental Gardens apartments, one resident told us of major electrical hazards.
When asked, if they've had multiple electrical surges before the fire in May, resident Paul Polley said, "Oh yeah. Just 3 or 4 weeks ago we had one and it just blew my television right out."
When we visited another Desert Shadows property, Satermino Gardens, one woman showed us where her ceiling flooded in multiple times.
"Not too happy with the way they don't follow up on things. It seems that any time they say they're going to fix my roof, someone will get fired and someone will go quit and it just falls through the cracks. Also, our back patio doors, it's a safety issue because they're on backwards. They're not on the right way," says the resident wanting to keep her identity anonymous.
On the phone, Toni Ringlein of Desert Shadows Property Management tells us they will "not justify these complaints" and says they have 11 maintenance workers for their 11 communities.
But Jimmy Phillips' electrically fired stove at Satermino Gardens has repeatedly broken down since he moved in a few months ago.
Phillips says, "Last time I talked to her, she said I'll send someone right away and that was 2 weeks ago. So I went to Arizona for Thanksgiving, because I couldn't cook out here."
Palm Springs fire inspectors have cleared Andalucia's fire safety measures.
The recent series of fires there were not sparked by a fault of building maintenance. But, people living here and at other Desert Shadows properties tell us they're worried about a pattern of maintenance problems they say could spark the next big fire.
The apartment complexes operated by Desert Shadows Property Management include:
Andalucia, Belardo, Cathedral Town Villas, Grenfall Apartments, Plaza Apartments, Palm Springs Village Apartments, Whispering Palms, Continental Gardens, Cornerstone Apartments, Satermino Gardens and Tennis Court Apartments.
