A fearsome fire ripped through a Temple City home Sunday evening, killing three people and critically wounding two others, authorities said.
The L.A. County Fire Department received a call regarding a residential fire in the 6000 block of Sultana Avenue at 4:49 p.m., said department spokesperson Fred Fielding. Firefighters arrived at the scene in less than five minutes, saw heavy smoke and fire coming from the building and immediately went into rescue mode, he said.
Three people were found dead inside the home, but firefighters were able to aid two additional victims and transport them to local hospitals.
“They [firefighters] did really excellent work and were able to get those two patients treated and transported,” Fielding said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. They were critically injured, but I hope they pull through.”
After performing the rescues, firefighters quickly pivoted to containing the blaze, he said, cutting a hole in the house’s roof to allow heat and smoke to escape. They then focused on getting as much water in the building as quickly as possible and extinguished the fire by 5:20 p.m.
The Fire Department’s arson team will be working with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department to investigate the cause of the blaze and fatalities, Fielding said. No other information on the five victims was immediately available.
