Murrieta fire burns apartment unit and displaces residents
An apartment unit was torched when a complex caught fire in Murrieta on Monday afternoon, according to firefighters.
In a shared on social media, Murrieta Fire & Rescue officials said that the fire was reported just after 1:45 p.m. at the Waterstone Apartments located near Hancock Avenue and las Brisas Road.
"Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy fire conditions. Due to the intensity of the flames, a defensive firefight was initiated in the primary apartment unit to prevent further extension," the release said.
Before they could contain the fire, which was declared a Second Alarm blaze due to the intensity, the flames damaged 20 individual units, firefighters said. Though they didn't say exactly how many residents were displaced, they said that American Red Cross personnel had been contacted to provide immediate assistance to victims.
Murrieta Fire & Rescue crews were aided by Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department during the firefight, and Murrieta Police Department officers helped limit traffic in the area so firefighting apparatus could be easily utilized, the release said.
Firefighters said that the incident was the third structure fire of the day in Murrieta and the second Second Alarm fire they had faced in a 12-hour time frame.
"The cause of the fire is under investigation," firefighters said.