Firefighter injured in Oakland hills blaze

OAKLAND — A firefighter was injured Thursday night in a two-alarm blaze that destroyed a home in the Oakland hills, officials said.

No one else was hurt.

The fire erupted about 10:50 p.m. Thursday at the hillside single-family home in the 5600 block of Merriewood Drive. It quickly escalated to a second alarm.

The resident, a man in his 80s, was assisted out of the burning home by his caretaker, who lives in a cottage on the property, Fire Department spokesman Michael Hunt said. The cottage was not damaged.

Firefighters arriving on scene were met by bright flames roaring from different parts of the home. Hunt said it took about 45 firefighters to bring the fire under control at about 11:36 p.m. One firefighter suffered a cut hand and was treated at a hospital.

Hunt said a fast response by firefighters as well as the defensible space on the property created by the homeowner were critical factors in making sure the fire did not spread to other homes or vegetation.

“This is a prime example of the importance of creating and maintaining defensible space,” Hunt said.

The cause of the fire, which Hunt said destroyed the home, remains under investigation. A damage figure was not available.

Hunt said the resident was getting shelter from neighbors.

Video editor Dylan Bouscher contributed to this report.