Multi-Unit Residential Structure Fire

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Robert Prendergast

Office: (714) 288-2500 | Cell: (714) 914-0438

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Firefighters Battle Stubborn Blaze in Extreme Weather Conditions

Orange, California, August 19, 2024 – At 4:14 PM Orange City Fire units responded to a reported residential structure fire at 5749 East Creekside Avenue. Upon arrival, Fire units reported smoke showing from the attic of a two-story unit in the middle of the complex. Orange Engine 4 made entry to the involved unit and began searching for the source of the smoke. Orange Battalion 1 assumed Command upgraded the response to a second alarm and began assigning units to key positions to combat the fire. Fire Attack crews located Fire inside a second-floor wall and found that it had extended to the attic. Orange Truck 2 was assigned to Ventilation Group and deployed to the roof for vertical ventilation to prevent the fire from extending to adjoining units through the attic space. Ventilation crews worked in coordination with the interior Fire Attack crews, successfully cutting offensive ventilation holes in the roof, allowing Fire Attack crews the ability to extinguish the fire. Additional fire crews on the ground floors quickly provided evacuation, and salvage operations in the neighboring units at risk for smoke and fire damage.  Fire crews endured high heat and extreme weather conditions, which added difficulty to the operation. The fire was knocked down in 38 minutes and contained to one unit. Two additional units sustained smoke and water damage during firefighting operations.

Forty-seven fire personnel responded to the incident. The Orange City Fire Department received assistance from Anaheim Fire and Rescue, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange Police Department, Southern California Edison, and The American Red Cross. One civilian was treated and released for burns, and one firefighter was treated and transported to a local hospital for heat-related injuries. Four adult residents and two dogs were displaced and referred to the Red Cross. The incident lasted approximately 5 hours and twenty-one minutes. The cause and damage estimate of the fire are under investigation.

www.orangecityfire.org

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