Firefighter sustains minor injuries at fire that destroys 4 apartments

By Craig Shultz
The Press Enterprise

HEMET, Calif. — Three people were injured and four apartments destroyed in an early morning fire in Hemet on Monday, Dec. 3.

The fire was reported at 2:06 a.m. at the Hacienda Apartments in the 25600 block of New Chicago Avenue, according to a news release from the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

Two residents were hospitalized, one with second- to third-degree burns on 30 percent of the body and the other due to smoke inhalation, according to a news release prepared by Melody Hendrickson. A firefighter also was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, she wrote.

Twenty-five residents were displaced, 10 due to a power outage. The remaining 15 were being assisted by the American Red Cross, Hendrickson said.

Sixteen of the 20 units were saved, though two sustained minor water and smoke damage, she said.
The fire was contained at 4:30 a.m. and controlled by 8:30 a.m.

Fifty-one firefighters were on scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Hendrickson said.

Copyright 2012 The Press Enterprise, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2013 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.    Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy