Fire kills 1, injures 2
SANTA CRUZ >> A fatal fire broke out Tuesday at 265 Water St., killing one person and injuring two more.
The structure was previously used as a recovery center, County Spokesman Jason Hoppin said. However, at the time of the fire, the building was boarded up. The facility had been unused since the start of the pandemic.
An initial report from the city stated the building was a part of the neighboring county jail. However, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office clarified the confusion.
The recovery center is not part of the Santa Cruz County Jail, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Spokeswoman Ashley Keehn said. Instead, the recovery center is owned by the county. The jail was not affected by the fire.
The Santa Cruz Fire Department responded to the fire at about 2 a.m., according to Battalion Chief Josh Coleman. When first responders arrived, there was a fire in the back of the building. Person exited and alerted responders that someone was inside.
First responders entered the building but were forced to back out due to fire heat and smoke, Coleman said. A backup crew arrived with a hose and the firefighters re- entered the building.
However, conditions
worsened and forced crews to transition to defensive tactics, which limit firefighters to try and extinguish the fire from the outside only.
Several people were inside the building, according to Hoppin, which led to the fatality and injuries. The two injured persons were one citizen and one firefighter.
The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. County officials have not released information on the deceased person and do not plan to do so until they identify the next of kin. The injured fireman was transported to Dominican Hospital.
The fire is still under in
vestigation and investigators have not yet determined the cause, Coleman said. The westbound side of Water Street was closed during the investigation. Investigators continue to exercise caution as the integrity of the building is compromised, Coleman continued.
“Safety is an issue. They can’t just run into the building, right now,” Hoppin said. “It’s still considered an active fire and the damage is pretty extensive, so they’re going to have to be cautious before entering the building.”
The building was deemed a total loss and will likely be demolished, according to Coleman.