The Bakersfield Californian
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A Bakersfield city firefighter was trapped for a short time beneath a ceiling collapse as he fought a difficult residential fire in east Bakersfield early Sunday morning.
The firefighter, whose name was not released, escaped with minor injuries after fellow firefighters were able to quickly extricate him from the debris, said Bakersfield Fire Department Battalion Chief Danny Brown.
The injured firefighter was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization.
BFD units initially responded at 12:07 a.m. to a reported structure fire at 1203 Oregon St. First arriving units reported a working fire involving multiple structures and vehicles, with heavy fire showing.
The first arriving company officer upgraded the response to a second alarm due to the large amount of fire, the department said in a news release.
BFD engine and truck companies deployed multiple hose lines to the interior of the structure where the ceilings were pulled to expose the seat of the attic fire in the main structure. Additional hose lines were deployed to protect exposed sides of the structure.
It was during the course of the interior firefighting effort that the crewmember was briefly trapped.
According to Brown, pieces of the heavy lath-and-plaster ceiling structure came down on the firefighter, but other members of the crew were immediately able to extricate him from the rubble.
BFD arson investigators later determined the fire was accidental, caused by an electrical short in one of five vehicles in the large car port.
Ultimately, Brown said, the fire involved two homes, multiple sheds and similar structures.
Damage was estimated at $350,000. Assisting agencies included PG&E, the city of Bakersfield Building Division, the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County Fire Department.
Eight people were displaced by the fire.
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