Drophouse found after fire erupts at Glendale house (The Arizona Republic)

Drophouse found after fire erupts at Glendale house
Brent Whiting
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 27, 2008 09:28 AM

Sixteen suspected illegal immigrants were detained Thursday morning after Glendale firefighters were called to a home near Olive and 47th avenues.
Firefighters forced entry into the suspected drophouse and discovered the 16, who were reluctant to leave despite a small electrical fire that had erupted in the attic, authorities said.
"It was a bad situation, but the 16 people were safely removed," said Sgt. Jim Toomey, a Glendale police spokesman.
One of the 16, a 21-year-old pregnant woman, complained of abdominal pains and was taken to a Valley hospital for a precautionary medical check, Toomey said.
Two other people, possibly "coyotes," or alien smugglers, managed to escape through the rear of the home in the 8800 block of North 46th Drive, just south of Olive.
All of the suspected illegal immigrants were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, a federal agency that will determine their immigration status, he said.
About 6:15 a.m., neighbors called firefighters to report smoke and possible fire in the attic of the home, Toomey said.
"Firefighters determined that there was, in fact, electrical wiring in the attic creating smoke, but there was little actual fire," he said.