Authorities said a man in his 60s was hospitalized with significant burns across parts of his body after a blaze at the Carmelitos public housing complex in North Long Beach Sunday morning.
The fire began around 10 a.m. in an upper-floor unit at the large housing complex in the 800 block of Via Carmelitos, Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jack Crabtree said.
When firefighters arrived, the man had already made his way out of the apartment. Crews found him outside with serious burns that required paramedic-level treatment and hospitalization, according to Crabtree.
Firefighters also headed inside and quickly extinguished the blaze, according to Crabtree, who said the building’s fire sprinklers significantly aided in that effort. The blaze was contained to the unit where it started, Crabtree said, but several lower-level units had to be vacated because of damage from water runoff.
Fire investigators are still working to determine what caused the blaze, Crabtree said.