Atwater man injured in arson fire, one arrested, authorities say

One man suffered minor burn injuries on his hands early Sunday when he tried to extinguish an arson fire in the kitchen at his Atwater home, firefighters said.

The injured man’s son, Christian M. Gallardo, 32, was arrested on suspicion of arson. Atwater police believe he intentionally set fire to his family’s home, as well as two vehicles while the family slept, Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

The family made it outside and no other injuries reported.

A total of seven firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Merced County, responded to the fire around 3:15 a.m. in the 300 block of Drakeley Avenue in Atwater.

The man’s injuries were treated at the scene by paramedics. He declined to go to the hospital, Capt. Scott Phillips said.

During the past few week, Atwater police have arrested Gallardo a number of times on suspcion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, Joseph said.

“It is suspected that Gallardo might be under the influence today due to his demeanor, but that is still under investigation,” Joseph said. “Gallardo sustained minor injuries which consisted of lacerations when he began to break out the windows to the residence.”

Flames were contained to the kitchen and did not spread to the rest of the house. Phillips put early damage estimates at around $5,000.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation Sunday.

The man, his wife and their two adult children stayed with relatives Sunday. Their names were not available.

“They should be able to return home either late (Sunday) or early (Monday),” Phillips said.

Firefighters said the incident was a good reminder of the importance of ensuring smoke detectors are functioning properly.

“I wouldn’t say it was an issue in this particular case, but these things are always an opportunity to remind people to check them,” Phillips said.

This story was originally published September 20, 2015 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Atwater man injured in arson fire, one arrested, authorities say."