Victims of Fresno apartment fire have valuables stolen before they could retrieve them

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Four units at the Canyon Del Sol Apartment Complex in East Central Fresno were completely destroyed when a fire sparked back on July 10th-- all 16 residents made it out safely.

Three weeks later some residents feel like they have just been hit with another loss. They said their personal belongings were stolen from the rubble before they could even check to see if there was anything worth salvaging.

"I'm hurt, I'm mad, I'm angry cause I got to do this all over again I got no place to stay-- there ain't too much more I could say," fire victim Novella Fane said.

Novella lived in the complex for nine years and said it was the apartment manager's fault she was ripped off following the fire. Without a place to live she is now staying with her daughter Lakisha.

"The management let us know that security was going to be securing this place," said Lakisha.

But according to Lakisha and her mother that was not the case. A free standing chain link fence was installed around the perimeter of the burned apartments. However when they returned Tuesday for the first time since the fire broke out, they found the home ransacked and anything worth taking was missing.

"TV was gone, dresser was turned over, all her jewelry, all her stuff was gone-- everything was everywhere, nothing in place," said Lakisha.

Novella is still waiting for a clear answer from the apartment manager as to why her unit wasn't secured.

We reached out to the staff as well but they refused to answer any of our questions.

"I cried-- I cried for my mom, this is something nobody should you know have to go through," said Lakisha.

Novella tells us she is out thousands of dollars' worth of personal belongings. Same can be said for other residents of the complex who had their items stolen as well but did not want to go on camera.