2 families left homeless after Verplanck fire

A pair of Verplanck families have been left homeless after a fire ripped through their apartment building last night. Investigators say the blaze broke out shortly after 9 p.m. on the second floor of 157 7th St. They say a blanket or another article of clothing might have been resting on a space heater when it caught fire. Resident Linda Mugai escaped from her apartment with only minor burns, but says she lost her most valuable possessions. "My boyfriend just died a month ago, and I lost all his ashes, everything," Mugai says. She says she is staying with a friend for the time being. The fire has been ruled accidental.