Six Evacuated, Paramedic Hurt as Fire Burns Retirement Unit Apartment
Six people were forced to evacuate from their apartments and a paramedic suffered electrical burns when a fire broke out in the Regents Point retirement community in the 1900 block of Harvard Avenue in Irvine, fire officials said Saturday.
The fire, which caused $12,500 in damage to the apartment where it began about 8:10 p.m. Friday, was brought under control after 22 minutes by 35 firefighters from the Orange County Fire Department, Capt. Patrick McIntosh said.
No one was in the apartment where the fire started in a smoldering mattress, McIntosh said.
Flames threatened to spread to other apartments, forcing the evacuation of six tenants. They were given other quarters for the night at the retirement complex, McIntosh said.
Paramedic Dave Phillips of Orange suffered electrical burns when he touched a bare wire while helping in the evacuation, fire officials said. Phillips was treated at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana and later released.
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