CARELESS SMOKING BEING BLAMED FOR THIS FIRE AT THE SUNSTONE TOWNHOME COMPLEX IN COLORADO SPRINGS, THAT DAMAGED OR DESTROYED MORE THAN 20 UNITS AND DISPLACED NEARLY 70 RESIDENTS AND NEW TONIGHT– SOME 20 HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS LEARNING THAT THEIR UNITS ARE BEING HANDED BACK OVER TO THEM

BUT EACH ONE OF THEM MUST GO THROUGH THE REGIONAL BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO FIND OUT IF THEIR UNIT IS SAFE AND THE RED CROSS IS STILL WAITING TO EVALUATE HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED A PLACE TO STAY BEFORE THEY OPEN UP THEIR SHELTER AT THE FIRST PENTECOSTAL CHURCH FOR A SECOND NIGHT RIGHT NOW WE'RE CONTINUING COVERAGE OF THAT TOWNHOUSE FIRE RENTER'S INSURANCE COULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IF YOU DO FIND YOURSELF IN THE SAME POSITION NEWS FIVE'S JESSICA BARRETO WATCHING OUT FOR YOU AND IS IN STUDIO TO EXPLAIN WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO SIGN UP JESSICA

RIGHT NOW, THE RED CROSS IS CONTINUING TO EVALUATES EACH FAMILY'S NEED THEY TELL ME THERE'S A MIX OF HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS FROM THE SUNSTONE TOWNHOME COMPLEX AND THEY'RE STRONGLY ADVISING RENTERS OUT THERE TO SIGN UP FOR THEIR OWN RENTER'S INSURANCE POLICY IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY WHILE THE RED CROSS SAY THEY OFFER IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A FAMILY HAS INSURANCE OR NOT THEY ADD IT'S CRITICAL FOR YOU TO HAVE YOUR OWN POLICY AS A RENTER EVEN IF THE HOMEOWNER YOU'RE RENTING FROM ALREADY HAS THEIR OWN

THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN COLORADO AGREES IT COULD COME IN HANDY WHEN IT COMES TO REPLACING BELONGINGS YOU MAY HAVE LOST IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE THE OWNER WOULD HAVE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE BUT THAT WOULDN'T PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY INSIDE THE HOUSE

" "RENTERS INSURANCE IS CRUCIAL IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS BECAUSE LOCAL AGENCIES WILL NOT COVER REPLACEMENT VALUE ON YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH FOOD OR WATER, A TWO NIGHT STAY WHILE YOU'RE DISPLACED BUT TO FULLY RECOVER FROM SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU REALLY NEED YOUR OWN RENTER'S INSURANCE POLICY" THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN COLORADO SAYS THE AVERAGE RENTER'S INSURANCE SPANS FROM TWELVE TO THIRTY DOLLARS A MONTH DEPENDING ON THE COVERAGE JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW PREVALENT HOME FIRES CAN BE THE RED CROSS TOLD ME THEIR TEAMS RESPOND TO A HOME FIRE EVERY EIGHT MINUTES ACROSS THE COUNTY AND AN AVERAGE OF TWO AND A HALF FIRES A DAY HERE IN THE STATE OF COLORADO OUT OF THE DISPLACED FAMILIES THE RED CROSS HAS SPOKEN TO SO FAR, ABOUT 40-PERCENT WERE RENTERS

AND OUT OF THOSE RENTERS ROUGHLY 25-PERCENT SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE RENTER'S INSURANCE ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR YOU, COLORADO SPRINGS, JESSICA BARR