A devastating fire ripped through a Temple City home Sunday evening, killing three people and seriously injuring two others, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department received a call about a residential fire in the 6000 block of Sultana Avenue at 4:49 p.m., department spokesman Fred Fielding said. Firefighters arrived on scene within five minutes, saw heavy smoke and fire coming from the building and immediately went into rescue mode, he said.
Three people were found dead inside the home, but firefighters were able to rescue two other victims and transport them to local hospitals.
“They [firefighters] did a really excellent job and was able to get both of these patients treated and transported,” Fielding said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. They were seriously injured, but I hope they pull through.
After performing the rescue, firefighters quickly responded to contain the fire, he said, by digging a hole in the roof of the house to allow heat and smoke to escape. They then focused on getting as much water into the building as quickly as possible and extinguished the fire around 5:20 p.m.
The fire department’s firefighting team will work with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to investigate the cause of the fire and the deaths, Fielding said. No further information about the five victims was immediately available.
