Newark family displaced by fire claims hydrants weren’t working; asks city for help

A Newark family is desperately asking for help after a fire left them homeless.
The family says that they were given about $650 from the American Red Cross. But they say that it is not enough to help them get food and shelter.
The three-alarm fire on South 19th Street on Saturday originated in one home and then spread to the two homes on either side. Officials say that the three properties are uninhabitable.
“We are homeless because there was no water in the fire hydrant to put it out or to even control the fire. If it was, they could've at least controlled the fire. We would have somewhere to live right now," says Aleeya Allman.
News 12 New Jersey is waiting for confirmation from Newark officials about this allegation.
Allman has lived on the third floor of one of the homes for the last seven years. Other family members reside on the first floor.
“Now we are just homeless. We are just out on the streets,” she says.
The family is now imploring the City of Newark to assist them in any way – especially since there are two children in the family.
“Red Cross tried to help. But the money that they gave us didn’t last. We had to eat with that, find shelter. They only gave us $640,” Allman says.
The family says that to make matters worse, their landlord left them in the dark and has disappeared.
Resident James Tanksley says that the landlord told the family to “get our stuff out of there and leave.” He says that the landlord sent the family a text message stating that he was not going to fix anything.
“The state is trying to get in contact, he is not even picking up the phone,” Tanksley says.
The family is hoping that they can have a roof over their head. They say that on Monday night they slept in a car.
“The shelters are full…the funds are frozen. What are we supposed to do?” Allman asks.
The family says that they were told by the Red Cross that there is a possibility that they will get some more funds since they already exhausted the $640 given to them.