Survivor in Hemet fire was revived after going into cardiac arrest, authorities say

Two people survived a huge house fire in Hemet after first responders rescued one of the victims from inside the home and revived them after they went into full cardiac arrest, the Hemet Fire Department said Friday.

Firefighters responded to the blaze near Palm Avenue late Thursday night and found the home engulfed in flames and smoke, according to Hemet Fire Chief Ryan Webb and Captain Laura Axcell. They had received several 911 calls which also mentioned that two people were possibly trapped inside the single-story duplex so firefighters started a rescue operation.

They forced their way into the home, where they found a person in full cardiac arrest, fire officials said. After performing life-saving measures, they regained a pulse and the victim started breathing again. First responders had the victim airlifted to a hospital for further treatment. 

A second person who survived had escaped the flames and was just outside the home when firefighters arrived, fire officials said. They were taken to a nearby hospital to treat injuries which fire officials described as minor.

Firefighters managed to stop the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes but six nearby residents were still displaced and were being assisted by Red Cross, officials said.

All of the home's occupants have been accounted for and nobody is missing. No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.