One killed, four injured in Mountain View apartment blaze

MOUNTAIN VIEW – One person was killed and four others were injured in a two-alarm fire Wednesday in Mountain View, officials said.

The fire was reported at 1 p.m. at a 142-unit apartment complex at 333 Escuela Ave., Mountain View fire Chief Juan Diaz said in a post on the fire department’s Facebook page.

Firefighters arrived to find an apartment on the second floor “well involved in fire and spreading exponentially into the main hallway,” Diaz said. Several residents were rescued and five were confirmed injured.

One resident was found unconscious. The person received advanced life support care and was taken to a hospital, where they died of their injuries several hours later, Diaz said.

The fire also claimed the life of one dog, but several others were rescued and reunited with their owners, Diaz said. A firefighter was bitten on the hand during the rescue effort, but Diaz said the injury was “not serious.”

The fire caused extensive damage, leaving 18 apartments uninhabitable and about 50 residents displaced, Diaz said. The residents are being fed at the Mountain View Senior Center.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Check back for updates.