GENEVIEVE A. SUZUKI / GSUZUKI@STARBULLETIN.COM Marciana Viloria, 72, is still living among the remains of her Varona Village home, which was destroyed in a fire Monday.

Staying put

The last resident of Varona Village
will not leave her burned out home

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By Genevieve A. Suzuki
gsuzuki@starbulletin.com

Marciana Viloria won't leave even though fire destroyed more than a third of her Varona Village home in Ewa.

She will live there -- without electricity, water, a telephone and neighbors, without the memories of her husband, family photos and valuable papers, which have all been destroyed.

"I never go look yet, because what I gonna do? It's all burned," said Viloria, 72, the last of the Varona Village residents. "I felt sad. I cried. All my things burned down, my food, my clothes."

Viloria said she left about 11:30 a.m. Monday for a doctor's appointment in Waipahu and returned about 5 p.m. to find her Leialoalo Street home partially gutted from the fire. The fire occurred about 12:15 p.m. The cause of the fire, which took an hour to bring under control, is still under investigation.

GENEVIEVE A. SUZUKI / GSUZUKI@STARBULLETIN.COM Firefighters saved Marciana Viloria's eight dogs, some of which are still suffering from smoke inhalation.

Firefighters rescued Viloria's eight dogs, but a couple of dogs yesterday were suffering from smoke inhalation.

"The ashes are still in their eyes," said Viloria's 11-year-old granddaughter, Chanel Viloria.

Viloria cannot afford to send the animals to a veterinarian. She shook her head at one of the sicker dogs. "No can help," she said. "I feel pity, but what I gonna do?"

Viloria said she is waiting for the city to help her find a replacement home. "I don't know what's going to happen," Viloria said.

The city is her landlord because, about 13 years ago, the city took over Varona Village, which was part of the Ewa Villages project. It charged nominal rent to residents for the old plantation housing. Eventually, the city helped families move so it could demolish or renovate the housing.

The city has offered Viloria and Varona Village residents several low-cost options, including rent-to-own homes, new rentals for one-third of their income, and rehabilitated housing, in which the city will fix up the current homes. City spokeswoman Carol Costa said the rehab option would probably no longer apply to Viloria's home because of the extensive damage from the fire.

Costa said Viloria has had more than enough time to move from the home where she has lived since 1987.

GENEVIEVE A. SUZUKI / GSUZUKI@STARBULLETIN.COM Marciana Viloria's grandchildren went through the remains of her Varona Village home the day after a fire Monday destroyed one-third of the house.

"We have met with Mrs. Viloria many, many times over the last couple of years," Costa said.

"Unfortunately, up to this time she has refused to accept one of those options," she said.

The city will continue its efforts to try and help Viloria, Costa said.

The Ewa Village Non-Profit Development Corp., which assists area residents, will go over Viloria's options with her, Costa said.

"It's a good opportunity to her," Costa said. "The city is making more than a good-faith effort."

American Red Cross officials said they are also working with Viloria's 48-year-old daughter Gloria to meet some of the family's immediate needs.

"What we've done so far is given her vouchers for food and clothing," said Jocelyn Collado, director of communications for American Red Cross. "And we have continual contact with them until they're back on their feet."

Viloria's daughter-in-law, Ofelia Viloria, and four of her grandchildren brought her and Gloria lunch and a cooler of water yesterday.

"Don't waste the water," she scolded one of her grandchildren who accidentally spilled some water from the cooler. "That's all we got."