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Oct. 14--SOUTH GATE, Calif. -- Two firefighters sustained minor back injuries Friday morning as they helped fight a house fire in South Gate.
Fire officials believe the blaze broke out about 5:30 a.m. in the attic of a two-story home with a combustible shake-shingle roof at 3070 Santa Ana St. The fire burned through the house's roof and more than 50 firefighters battled it for more almost two hours before bringing it under control.
Walter Jackson, a resident in the home, said he woke up about 3 a.m. and smelled smoke but didn't think anything of it. He awoke again about 5:30 a.m., noticed the attic was on fire and called 9-1-1.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, police officials said.
The older construction of the home, the shake shingles and the steep-pitched roof made it difficult to fight the blaze, fire officials said.
One firefighter injured his back while working on a ladder, officials said. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Another firefighter was hurt when the second floor ceiling collapsed, landing on his back. He was treated at the scene, officials said.
The home's residents -- two different families, seven people in all -- were not hurt in the fire. All of their belongings inside the home were destroyed.
"We just got out in an instant," Jackson said. "We didn't think of what stuff to get out, we just got out."
