Two people injured while evacuating San Bernardino apartment fire

Two people were injured while evacuating an apartment fire in San Bernardino early Monday morning, according to fire officials.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department said crews were dispatched to a 5:30 a.m. call of a commercial structure fire in the 200 block of E. 13th Street.

“911 callers described a fire from an apartment with potentially four people trapped,” the department wrote in an X post.

Units arrived and found heavy fire coming from the first of a two-story apartment building, which SBCoFD said was immediately threatening the second story and cutting off the primary escape for the upstairs units.

Crews found two injured victims outside. According to the fire department, one person was injured by jumping from the second story, while the second was hurt while rapidly evacuating his apartment.

After providing first aid for the evacuees, fire officials said resources conducted searches of the apartments and then began attacking the flames.

“The fire was knocked down within 30 minutes of arrival,” stated SBCoFD. “The fire ultimately damaged three units; the searches of the building yielded no additional occupants.”

One of the injured evacuees was transported with moderate injuries, and the other was treated on-scene, according to the department. Officials did not immediately say which patient was the one who jumped from the second story, but noted that no other injuries were reported.

SBCoFD said it responded with nine engines, two truck companies, three chief officers and two investigators. 

In addition, the department said a drone was used to monitor the fire from above.

“This real time situational awareness allowed crews to monitor the progress of the fire, heat in the structure and monitor for any ember casting to nearby structures,” said SBCoFD.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Two people were injured while evacuating an apartment fire in San Bernardino early Monday morning, according to fire officials. The San Bernardino County Fire Department said crews were dispatched to a 5:30 a.m. call of a commercial structure fire in the 200 block of E. 13th Street. “911 callers described a fire from an apartment […]