A child was critically injured in a fire that broke out in an apartment building on Dutton Avenue in Santa Rosa on Saturday evening. Firefighters were able to rescue the child from the burning building.
The Santa Rosa Fire Department responded to multiple reports of the fire just after 6 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighting units observed smoke billowing from a second-floor window of the two-story apartment building.
Firefighters began to cut into the roof to release heavy smoke and flames, allowing them to enter the building and conduct a search. They found one child on the second floor, who was then transported to the hospital with life-threatening burn injuries.
Initial information suggested there was another person inside the building. Despite conducting a second search, no additional victims were found. The blaze was contained within 30 minutes, but firefighting crews remained on the scene for several hours to investigate the cause of the fire.
The fire largely damaged a bedroom, while the rest of the apartment sustained heat and smoke damage. The estimated cost of the damage amounts to $100,000.
This incident underscores the importance of fire safety measures in residential buildings and the heroic role firefighters play in rescuing victims during such emergencies.