Two Evening Fires Burn Long Beach Apartments

Two Tuesday night apartment fires - one in Belmont Heights, the other across from St. Anthony's Church - left one tenant trapped and then injured after she broke a second-story window and leaped out, officials said.

Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Will Nash said the first fire in the 1600 block of East 3rd Street, started before 9:13 p.m. and was caused by food cooking on the stove. Nash said the firefighters arrived to the Belmont Heights apartment to find "fire and heavy smoke coming from an upstairs apartment and [they] were told that the upstairs tenant was trapped inside.

"Fire personnel made entry and began a search while extinguishing the fire," Nash continued, "Fortunately, the tenant broke a window and exited the second level, falling to the alley below, suffering some cuts and abrasions. She was treated and transported to LB Community Hospital by paramedics" with the Long Beach Fire Department.

About ten minutes later and across the street from St. Joseph's Church, in the 600 block of Olive Ave., another fire erupted at an apartment, although the resident was not at home, Nash said. Heavy smoke was spewing from the apartment when firefighters arrived, said Nash, who added:

"They accessed the apartment and began extinguishment and a search for victims. The apartment tenant was seen in the area prior to the fire but was not in the apartment during the fire. The fire was extinguished and contained to the initial apartment. This fire is currently under investigation by the LBFD Investigations Unit. No one was injured at this incident."

Correction: The fires happened Tuesday night, not Wednesday morning as earlier reported.