MALIBU—An apartment fire in Malibu injured one firefighter and killed three pets and damaged three units on Tuesday, May 9.
The two-story building was located at 23901 Civic Center Way, facing Pacific Coast Highway. Firefighters reached the complex at 8:12 a.m. The flames were knocked down before 9:20 a.m. Residents were safely evacuated from the building. One dog and two cats died as a result of the fire. The injured firefighter was treated for his injuries at a local hospital.
“The dog had CPR done on him for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, and a veterinarian was on the phone giving advice on how to best resuscitate him,” said Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Williams to The Malibu Times.
“There was one dog who was unfortunately lost in one of the other adjacent units, due to the great amount of smoke in the building,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated in a social media update. “Even with that, Deputy Koerner and the Fire Department did make every attempt to save the dog’s life. The owner had stepped out to run an errand, and unfortunately the rescuers did not know of the dog being inside the condo.”
The two surrounding buildings suffered smoke and water damage. As to the unit where the fire started, Medina said it is “inhabitable” and that residents will not “be able to get back in there.”
No other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
