7:18am | An apartment fire in the Sixth District that occurred almost simultaneously with another in the Eighth District last Friday left a Long Beach firefighter injured and seven families homeless, a fire department spokesman said.
The firefighter’s injuries were non-life-threatening, said Firefighter Steve Yamaguchi, who serves as the department’s public information officer.
Long Beach firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire in the 1900 block of Locust Avenue at about 1:20 p.m. last Friday, a mere minute after other Long Beach Fire Department units responded to an apartment building fire further north on 56th Street.
When LBFD Truck No. 7 arrived at the scene, firefighters witnessed a light amount of smoke in a downstairs apartment in the two-story complex, Yamaguchi said.
Firefighters climbed to the roof and employed a thermal imaging camera to identify the exact heat source, which was eventually determined to be somewhere inside the walls. Firefighters from Engine No. 12 forced entry into the structure and began a lengthy search for the stubborn fire, which proved to be tricky to locate, Yamaguchi said.
The fire was finally extinguished after firefighters opened up various walls and chased the flames through numerous void spaces, he said.
The injured firefighter suffered a laceration to one of his hands. He was evaluated and treated by paramedics at the scene before being transported to a local hospital in stable condition, Yamaguchi said.
No one else was injured.
Seven families who resided at the eight-unit apartment building were displaced due to the extensive damage caused by the fire and efforts to battle it. The American Red Cross was notified and assisted in locating shelter for the families.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Yamaguchi said.
A total of seven LBFD units and 23 department personnel participated in knocking down the blaze.