A fire at a two-story, single-family home has resulted in injuries to five firefighters, two displaced residents, a dead dog and a missing cat, according to Jacob Heflin, public information officer with the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD).
At 11:55am Tuesday morning, LBFD units responded to reports of a structure fire at 3400 East 1st Street. The first fire engine, Engine 2, arrived at 11:57am, finding heavy fire on the first floor of the home. Firefighters initiated an aggressive interior attack and began vertical ventilation operations to support fire-suppression activities. It was immediately determined that the owner of the home had escaped the fire and that he was alone when the fire started. There were no other reports of occupants inside the building, Heflin said.
As interior conditions worsened and the fire intensified and spread rapidly throughout the house, a decision was made to transition from an “offensive” fire attack to a “defensive” fire attack, Heflin said. This decision was made in order confine the fire to the building of origin and prevent the spread of fire to surrounding homes. A second alarm was requested at 12:28am. Firefighters were pulled out of the involved home and began exterior fire attack operations from manned hose streams and elevated “master” streams off of Truck 1 and Truck 17, according to LBFD.
Two residents, a father and son, were displaced by the fire. The father, 85, escaped the fire. The other resident, 27, was at work at the time of the fire. The father was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation based on complaints consistent with smoke inhalation. The family had two pets that were also home at the time of the fire. One dog was found dead at the scene while a cat remained unaccounted for. Long Beach Animal Control was requested to provide additional support.
At the height of the fire, there were over 50 firefighters assigned to the incident. Knockdown occurred at approximately 1pm. Five firefighters received minor injuries during the course of the fire: three sustained minor burns, one sustained a laceration to his hand, and the other suffered a shoulder injury. LBFD units remained on-scene throughout the afternoon to monitor the fire for additional “hot spots.” The last unit cleared the scene at 6:16pm. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, fire investigators have ruled the fire as an “accidental heating fire” that started in a bedroom on the first floor of the home.
The American Red Cross Disaster Action Team also responded and provided additional support to the displaced residents. A $100 Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency (SAVE) card was also issued to the family through a state-wide victim-assistance program supported by the Long Beach Fire Department in partnership with the California Fire Foundation.
Source: LBFD
