Spanish
Los Botados, Monte Plata. – At least two families were left homeless this week in the municipal district of Los Botados, after voracious fires reduced their homes to ashes.
Rendón Aristi and his wife Luisana de León, parents of four children, lost everything last Thursday when a fire, allegedly caused by an electrical cable, consumed their home located a few meters from the Los Botados Fire Department station.
The family barely managed to save nine dogs they had as pets. "We were left with the clothes we were wearing, but I thank God that my children are alive. They were only material losses," said Aristi, who recounted that he had gone out to take his recently operated wife to the doctor and returned to pick up his 12-year-old son.
The affected person also criticized the precariousness of the Los Botados Fire Department and called on Mayor Juan de León Custodio (Kikilo) to prioritize the real needs of the community.
Another fire in La Lomita
Last Sunday, Berta Bello de Paula, a resident of the La Lomita community, also lost all her belongings when a fire started in her zinc and wood house. Her 14-year-old daughter remains hospitalized at the Robert Reid Cabral Hospital with burns, after trying to cook rice in a pot with hot oil that caught fire and spread the flames. Help for families Those who wish to collaborate can contact 849-402-7747 with Rendón Aristi and 809-705-2013 with Berta Bello. Fire Department in crisis The mayor of the Los Botados Fire Department, Héctor Manuel de los Santos, admitted that the entity lacks the necessary equipment to respond to emergencies. He revealed that in the last 25 days, four fires have been recorded in the community and that they only have a minivan to provide assistance. "When a fire occurs, we have to ask for help from Yamasá, because here we don't even have a truck. Even our boots and suits are deteriorated," he lamented. He explained that they have managed to get support to acquire a fire truck and that only one businessman in the area has responded. De los Santos added that the Ministry of Interior and Police has informed them that they are working on solutions to improve the response capacity of this fire department, but no concrete help has yet materialized. He asked the authorities, businessmen, and the entire community to join this cause to prevent further tragedies.
