Three injured in early morning duplex fire

One person is in critical condition and suffering from burn injuries from an early-morning duplex fire in Merced.

Merced City firefighters responded to a fire at a duplex in the 1100 block of U Street at 1:52 a.m., Battalion Chief Corey Haas reported.

When firefighters arrived on scene, “quite a bit of fire” was coming from the front of one of the units, Haas said.

“Units were able to knock that fire down and protect other exposures,” Haas said.

Power lines came down, posing a safety risk for firefighters until Pacific Gas & Electric arrived on scene to shut off the power.

An additional fire engine was requested during firefighting efforts because of the heat conditions and fatigued firefighters, Haas said.

The fire was controlled by 2:16 a.m.

Riggs Ambulance also responded to treat the occupants of the duplex. A family of six was displaced from one unit, which sustained less serious damage. A family of three adults – a husband, wife, and son – who lived in the adjacent unit mostly affected by the fire were hospitalized. One of the victims was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno to be treated for burn injuries.

Though about half of the entire building was damaged, the entire building was deemed uninhabitable, Haas said. Red Cross will assist the families who were displaced.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire, focusing on the living room area of the unit with the most damage. Haas estimated the damages were about $60,000.

In total, four engines, a fire truck and 16 firefighters responded to the blaze.

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 5:44 AM with the headline "Three injured in early morning duplex fire."