The firefighters retrieved the mother and daughter from upstairs but they had already suffered a cardiac arrest by then.
A mother and daughter have lost their lives in an unfortunate accident after a fire broke out in their California apartment on Tuesday. The Downey Fire Department responded to a call reporting an apartment fire on Tweedy Lane around 10:47 p.m. local time, as per a press release issued by DFD on Wednesday. The firefighters had to combat "heavy smoke and fire from a garage in a condo complex" and according to the information they received, at least three people were trapped inside the burning apartment. According to PEOPLE, the DFD revealed that "once on scene crews found one patient in front of the building suffering from significant burn injuries and the individual is recovering at a trauma hospital."
A mother died and a child was in critical condition after a large fire tore through a two-story apartment building in Downey Tuesday night.
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The fire, according to the Downey Fire Department, was near the intersection of Tweedy Lane and Dinsdale Street.
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The firefighters discovered two other people at the scene. One of them was pronounced dead on the spot and a minor was rushed to the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center in a critical state and was eventually declared dead. With the combined efforts of 35 local firefighters, the fire was finally put out after roughly 25 minutes, per the DFD. The authorities are still carrying out an investigation to figure out the reason behind the fire outbreak. As per various news outlets, the minor victim has been identified as a 12-year-old girl, and the other deceased person is reportedly her mother. The girl's grandmother is currently recovering in the hospital and none of their identities have been made public yet and their relationship has not been confirmed.
According to KTLA, the Fire Department Battalion Chief Jorge Villanueva said that "they encountered high heat and low visibility and extreme fire conditions." KTLA also captured aerial video footage which shows heavy flames and smoke billowing from both sides of the structure as firefighters make their best attempts to contain the fire. The firefighters retrieved the mother and daughter from upstairs but they had already suffered a cardiac arrest by then. Arson investigators have visited the charred apartment and the fire is believed to have started from the garage before spreading throughout the apartment, as per the reports of Fox 11.
"Fire conditions were extreme, making it difficult to search on the second floor. Both victims were reported to be unconscious on the second floor. The firefighters, when we do encounter something like that, we operate on what's called a rescue profile, where we risk our own lives to rescue someone else," said Downey Battalion Chief Jorge Villanueva, as per the outlet.
References:
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/crews-battle-fire-at-2-story-apartment-building-in-downey/
https://www.foxla.com/news/mother-killed-child-seriously-injured-downey-house-fire
Cover Image Source: KTLA 5/YouTube
