Crime & Safety
El Cerrito Firefighters Help Snuff Hercules Fire
A fire that started in a fireplace caused an estimated $200,000 in damage. The resident, alerted by a smoke alarm, escaped the home.
An early morning Hercules house fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damage Monday before firefighters from five fire departments were able to fully tame the flames.
Firefighters from the El Cerrito and Pinole fire departments, the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, and the Crockett-Carquinez Fire District responded to the incident at 310 Lilac Circle.
A total of 20 firefighters responded. Upon arrival, the flames had entered the attic. A Rodeo-Hercules firefighter sustained a shoulder injury after a parital roof collapse and was taken by ambulance to Kaiser Medical Center in Vallejo.
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The fire stated in a fireplace and spread to the chimney, attic and roof of the two-story house, according to a news release issued by the Rodeo-Hercules Fire District. A call reporting the fire came in at 3:34 a.m., and it was controlled by 4 a.m.
Contra Costa Fire District firefighters covered the Pinole and Rodeo-Hercules stations during the event.
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The Rodeo-Hercules Fire District reminds residents to check their smoke alarms monthly and to have annual chimney inspections.
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