5 Alarm Apartment Fire - Sac

[scannerboy02]

5-ALARM FIRE DESTROYS 12 APARTMENT UNITS IN SOUTH SACRAMENTO​

SAC METRO FIRE INVESTIGATORS RULE OUT ARSON AS RED CROSS ASSISTS DISPLACED FAMILIES​

​

At 7:03am fire fighters from Sac Metro, Sac City and Cosumnes Fire Districts responded to reports of an apartment fire at 7283 Florin Mall Drive in South Sacramento. Sac Metro Fire Engine 53 and Medic 53 arrived within 4 minutes to find heavy fire and smoke showing from a 2-story apartment complex. A second alarm was requested as additional crews were rushed to the scene to battle the stubborn blaze. Fire fighting operations quickly escalated to 5-alarms with 15 fire engines, 8 truck companies, 3 medics, 2 air rigs, and 10 command staff involved in the effort. All told, 102 fire personnel took part in the battle to control the blaze.

Primary and secondary searches by rescue crews resulted in an "all clear" as no victims were found. The majority of tenants had self-evacuated during the early stages of the fire. The main body of fire was contained to one building with 12 units sustaining significant damage. Complete extinguishment of the fire was challenging due to the compartmentalized nature of the construction. Truck companies utilized chain saws to cut their way into walls, ceilings, fireplaces, and other areas to allow the direct application of water for complete extinguishment.

One citizen suffered a sprained ankle, with one fire fighter succumbing to dehydration. The fire fighter was treated at the scene and fully recovered. All 12 units in the fire building were rendered uninhabitable, with over 30 citizens being forced from their homes. The Red Cross was called to the scene to assist those displaced by the fire.

The initial call to 911 had reported an electrical fire, but arson investigators have not confirmed that as the cause. Sac Metro Fire investigators have ruled out arson, stating the fire was not intentionally set. The exact cause has not been determined, but investigators say the fire began in the attic and was accidental. Initial estimates place the damage to the structure and contents at just over $1,000,000.

 

[hemi]

you got some amazing video's,thanks for sharing

 

[gmclam]

I woke up this morning hearing this call, but missed the initial address. I heard them talking about Florin Mall. So I turned on KCRA/KQCA and there it was from LiveCopter 3. LOL. I remember when reports were 4 units damaged. I knew from the chatter on the scanner it was going to pretty much be the loss of that entire building. Thanks for the post.

 

[scannerboy02]

John Hamilton and Ron Middlekauff did a great job on this fire. I called them while they were on the way to breakfast and diverted them back to the airport then when they got over the scene they had to contend with traffic from Executive and some low clouds. I remember a few times John had to stop talking on T.V. to answer the tower calling him. It's funny to hear him stop mid sentence and say "3 TV roger" then go right back to talking.