by Maddy Keyes, The Frontier
October 28, 2026
A drop of molten plastic landed on Ernesto Akothe’s back as he slept.
He was inside a tent in a wooded area in Harrah with his girlfriend lying beside him. The couple had been without permanent housing for more than 10 years, sleeping in a car or camping in a private spot deep in the forest.
The small fire he lit to keep warm on that brisk winter night had spread to the flaps of the tent. And the flames were melting it with the couple inside.
”I almost burned alive,” Akothe recounted.
Akothe woke with a start. He pulled frantically at the lock he’d put on the zipper, but it was taking too long to open. He ripped a hole in the tent so they could escape. The couple watched…