Riverside blaze at student housing displaces 150 residents, two buildings evacuated

A Riverside fire destroyed parts of the University Riverside Gardens apartment complex, forcing the evacuation of two buildings and displacing about 150 residents; officials say a contractor’s blowtorch likely started the blaze, which burned up to the attic and through the roof. About 100 firefighters and 25 engines responded, all residents were accounted for, seven cats and a dog were rescued, and Red Cross shelters opened as many students face finals week.