CA Firefighter Hurt in Fatal Fire

April 1, 2019
The Fresno firefighter was hit by fire debris while battling a blaze at a two-story building that killed one person.

One person was killed and a Fresno firefighter was injured early Sunday when a two-story building caught fire, officials have confirmed.

No other details regarding the victim were immediately available. The Fresno firefighter suffered injuries when he was struck by fire debris. He was treated and released from medical a short time later, Fire Investigator Christine Wilson said.

Firefighters responded at 6 a.m. to building in the area of East Bremer and North College Avenues. Firefighters were told one person may have been trapped inside the burning two-story building, Wilson said. The victim’s body was discovered inside the home once firefighters managed to get inside.

At least two explosions were caused when oxygen tanks inside the building caught fire, Battalion Chief Todd Tuggle confirmed, but no other injuries were reported.

A damage estimate was not immediately available. The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Sunday morning.

A second fire broke out around 9 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 2400 block of East Peralta Way in Fresno. Firefighters said a short circuit in an electrical appliance in a kitchen sparked flames that spread to a neighboring apartment. The flames gutted two apartments, displacing the residents, Tuggle confirmed.

The exact number of residents displaced by the fire was not immediately clear. No injuries were reported.

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©2019 The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)

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