A potential disaster was averted Tuesday night in Lake Forest when Orange County Fire Authority crews knocked down an apartment complex fire that sent three people to the hospital.
Among the crews that responded to the single alarm blaze at the Pheasant Creek condominium complex was Statiion 45 from Rancho Santa Margarita.
OCFA responded to a call shortly after 10 p.m., in response to a working structure fire at the Pheasant Creek Condos in the 20000 block of El Toro Road.
An OCFA spokesman said crews from RSM, Lake Forest and Mission Viejo responded to the blaze and were able to knock it down in about 15 minutes, just preventing its spread to the second floor of the building.
According to Capt. Jon Muir, a 53-year-old man who resided in the unit pulled the fire alarm box and alerted neighbors. He also suffered moderate smoke inhalation, the most serious injury of those who were taken to Mission Hospital.
Two male neighbors, ages 32 and 60, were treated for minor smoke inhalation.
The emergency call went out at 10:08 p.m., and residents from adjacent units were allowed to return to their homes by midnight.
An investigation is under way. The cause of the fire is unknown.
"It was an apartment fire with huge potential, and the OCFA crews made a great, aggressive stop," Muir said.
He also praised the man's actions for notifying neighbors. "That could have saved many lives," Muir said. "If that fire expanded—it was tucked way in the back. Props to the firefighters who were able to make an aggressive attack. It was located the furthest you could get from the street."
Muir said teams from stations 54, 45 and 31 responded to the blaze, and about 28 firefighters were involved in the effort
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