(Kissimmee) October 26, 2009 – Since this morning, the number of people who need assistance from the American Red Cross after a devastating fire in Kissimmee has gone up.
Red Cross volunteers are now helping 13 families — up from nine this morning — for a total of 30 people displaced when fire destroyed 24 condominiums late last night. Six volunteers from Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties responded to the Villa del Sol complex on Tropical Isle Boulevard last night and began providing assistance.
“I watched the fire spread from one side of the building to the other,” said one victim as he spoke with a Red Cross worker Monday afternoon. “I just stood there, powerless, and watched the flames destroy my unit bit by bit.”
The Red Cross is now extending temporary shelter stays for most families and providing pre-paid client cards, which help provide for families’ immediate needs for food and clothing.
The Red Cross estimates that the cost of responding to the fire and providing relief to the victims will rise above $10,000. The cost could continue to climb as more people turn to the Red Cross for help. The Red Cross predicts more families will need long-term recovery assistance beyond their immediate disaster needs.
Disaster assistance is free to disaster victims and made possible by the donations of the community.Anyone looking to help the victims can make a donation to theRed Cross at www.midfloridaredcross.org.
American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region 