The Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) responded to a structure fire and subsequently knocked it down on the 1400 block of Atlantic Avenue on the morning of July 21, resulting in one firefighter being injured during the incident.
At approximately 4:16am, LBFD units responded to reports of a structure fire, arriving onto the scene four minutes later and reporting heavy smoke and fire coming from the front of a 2.5-story single-family dwelling, according to LBFD officials.
Firefighters initiated a fire attack and confined the fire to the involved structure, however, there was an immediate exposure concern to the south of the address, and a subsequent second-alarm response was requested at 4:25am to support fire operations. The knockdown of the fire occurred at approximately 4:50am.
Upon completion of the primary search at 4:36am, it was determined that the building was vacant, but there was evidence of homeless occupancy, and it is unknown if there was anyone in the building at the time of the incident. The building was reported to have been unoccupied for an undetermined period of time, according to LBFD investigators. This is also the second fire at this address in the last year.
A firefighter was injured during suppression operations, sustaining first- and second-degree burns to the back of his neck, and was transported by LBFD paramedics to a local area hospital for further evaluation.
At the height of the fire, there were 50 firefighters assigned to the incident, and the cause of the fire is undetermined.
