South San Jose Apartment Blaze Investigated As Arson
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Two people were rescued and a firefighter was injured in a fire that displaced 10 people at an apartment complex in San Jose Thursday morning and may be arson, a fire department spokesman said.
The fire was reported around 7:30 a.m. in the 3900 block of Seven Trees Boulevard east of Monterey Road where neighbors saw heavy smoke, Fire Capt. Mitch Matlow said.
Investigators said neighbors reported seeing someone throw something into the apartment which may have sparked the fire.
The blaze gutted a downstairs unit and quickly spread. Two residents were briefly trapped on an upstairs balcony by flames and intense heat before they were rescued.
The fire prompted a second-alarm response that was quickly canceled, Matlow said. It was under control at about 8:15 a.m., he said.
A firefighter suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze and was transported to a hospital, according to Matlow. No other injuries were reported.
It appeared the fire began in a downstairs bedroom and spread to an upstairs unit, Matlow said.
Fire officials are working with the complex's property management team to find temporary housing for five adults and five children displaced by the fire, Matlow said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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