At 3:11 am Monday, Contra Costa County firefighters responded to a report of a commercial fire in the 3000 block of Cherry Street in Antioch with occupants trapped.
According to Battalion Chief Ed Gonzales, firefighters arrived on scene to both smoke and flames showing between the buildings with four occupants on the top of a flat-top roof with Antioch Police attempting to rescue the residents.
Gonzales says Q83 firefighters immediately grabbed their ladder and assisted in the rescue to pull four people from the roof while E81 arrived on scene and began fire attack prior to the fire entering the home or attic.
Gonzales explained that the fire occurred in the alley which was the only way in or out of the home and the occupants were blocked. He credited a person riding their bicycle nearby who spotted the flames and began alerting occupants.
“This rescue was a case of perfect timing, a quick response time, quick action for the people getting out with Antioch Police assistance and us all there at the same time, someone riding a bike down the street and saw it he was banging doors,” explained Gonzalez. “There were no reported injuries to firefighters or residents. The initial actions of the Antioch Police officers and the crew of Truck 83 directly contributed to a successful rescue.”
The fire was caused by discarded coals from a barbecue and caused minimal damage estimated at $25,000. The Red Cross was requested as two occupants were displaced.
1 comment
That particular 2 bedroom one bath house is a death trap. There is no way out unless you have a ladder in the back yard and you can climb up over the wall. The front door and exit into the garage are placed in the same place.
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