A fire that broke out Wednesday in a Riverside apartment caused major damage to the unit and killed the pet inside, and injured one of the occupants when he tried to extinguish the blaze.
The fire was reported just after 10 a.m. Wednesday in the 2900 block of Canyon Crest Drive, near Massachusetts Avenue, according to the Riverside Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said two engine crews and two truck companies, numbering more than a dozen personnel, were sent to the location and encountered flames raging in the kitchen of the second-floor apartment.
“Firefighters performed an aggressive fire attack,” Vanderhorst said. “The fire was kept to the apartment and did not spread to the adjoining units.”
Crews discovered a dog inside the dwelling and attempted to revive the animal, but the canine perished at the scene, according to the battalion chief.
He said one of the residents had tried to knock down the blaze but couldn’t and suffered unspecified minor injuries that did not require hospitalization.
The extent of the fire left the apartment uninhabitable, displacing the three adults residing there.
Vanderhorst said Red Cross volunteers were requested to assist the victims, whose identities were not disclosed, with finding temporary alternate lodgings.
The cause of the fire was under investigation Wednesday afternoon.