Lodi house fire injures three people

Two people were severely burned and a third injured in a Lodi house fire on Tuesday morning, according to Interim Lodi Fire Chief Gene Stoddart.

The Lodi Fire Department responded to the blaze at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Two people, one suffering burns on 70 percent of their body and the other suffering burns on 35 percent of their body, were transported to the University of California, Davis Medical Center, according to Stoddart.

The third person was taken to an area hospital with unknown burns.

“One of our battalion chiefs was driving down Cherokee Lane when he saw smoke, and discovered a house fire on the 100 block of East Walnut Street. The house was fully charred, with heavy smoke and fire coming out of the back side of the house’s windows. Upon arrival, three people extricated themselves from the house: An adult, a 16-year-old and a 9month-old,” Stoddart said.

With one Lodi fire engine responding to a medical call and another lacking sufficient staffing, only two engines were able to respond to the fire, along with one truck and one battalion chief, according to Stoddart.

Lodi police officers and volunteers with the Partners Program assisted with traffic control while the code enforcement division ensured that the building was properly boarded up once the fire was extinguished, Stoddart said.

With only 10 Lodi firefighters available to respond to the fire, a mutual aid request was made to the Stockton Fire Department and the Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District for three engines, one truck and one battalion chief to patrol Lodi while the fire was dealt with, according to Stoddart.