Fire in Grover Beach displaces multiple people and destroys two apartments Tuesday
Jarrod Zinn
GROVER BEACH, Calif. – A fire in Grover Beach destroyed at least two apartments and injured a few people as they evacuated this morning.
There was a close call, as one woman had to jump from a second-story window to escape the flames.
Neighbors helped each other get away from this fire safely, and we have video of the moments leading up to one victim’s harrowing escape.
In it, you can see a woman who lives at the apartment building on 14th Street was clinging to a second-story window as flames spread through the building.
The call came in around 9:30 Tuesday morning.
Firefighters arrived and immediately focused on making sure everyone was out.
“The fire originated somewhere to the rear of the back building, and their first priority was rescue,” says Five Cities Fire Authority Chief Scott Hallett.
Firefighters weren’t the only ones involved in the rescue effort.
Corey Clendenen told us how he helped catch a woman who had to jump from the second story.
“I was thinking in my head, I don’t have an extension ladder anymore, so I obviously wasn’t going to get up there fast,” says Clendenen. “I was just doing what I guess I felt I need to do, I don’t know, out of reaction.”
We’re told a couple of other people jumped from the second story as well.
Eight to ten people have been displaced.
“I know there was one animal, one small dog that was impacted,” says Chief Hallett. “I believe the dog survived.”
Everyone got out and only two people were transported away with minor injuries, but two whole apartments, including the home of a mother and her children who were about to start school, are gone.
“Next, real big priority is seeing what residents will need assistance from Red Cross,” says Chief Hallett. “And so we anticipate we’ll probably be here most of the day, making sure the fire is fully extinguished, conducting our investigation and assisting the occupants.”
Responders contained the fire by noon.
An exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Crews have reopened the road and the scene has been secured while they continue their investigation.
A GoFundMe has been established to assist those who lost their homes and property in this fire, and donations of any size are welcome.
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