EL CAJON–A structure fire on Thursday damaged a commercial building and possibly injured a man in El Cajon, Heartland Fire and Rescue Department said.
At 09:12 p.m., Heartland Fire and Rescue crews were dispatched to a report of a commercial fire in the 900 block of El Cajon Boulevard in El Cajon. Upon arrival fire crews discovered a two story warehouse with smoke coming from the structure.
Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire in approximately fifteen minutes. Simultaneously, fire department searched the building and checked the adjoining business to ensure fire did not spread. While fire crews were working inside the structure they identified laboratory equipment and unknown chemical substances. Once they determined that no occupants were in the structure and the main fire was extinguished they backed all fire personnel out of the structure and called for hazmat to respond to the scene.
Shortly after the initial dispatch to the fire another medical incident was called to a nearby business for an adult male who suffered burn injuries possibly related to the commercial structure fire. AMR medics transported the patient to the Regional Burn Center at UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. His condition is not known at this time.
The hazardous material and the cause of the fire are still under investigation. The estimated loss is approximately $250,000.
