Fire Causes $600,000 Damage to Apartments

Two Burbank firefighters suffered minor injuries early Friday in an apartment complex fire that caused more than $600,000 damage, destroyed one unit and heavily damaged two others, authorities said.

One firefighter suffered a slight back injury and the other twisted his knee, said Burbank Fire Department Battalion Chief Stan Nelson. Both were treated and released, he said. They were not identified.

Thirteen fire companies battled the blaze that broke out at 1:07 a.m. in a three-story, 14-unit complex in the 900 block of Riverside Drive, Nelson said.

The occupant of the apartment where the fire started was not home at the time and few residents had to be evacuated, Nelson said. The fire was extinguished at 2:54 a.m., he said.

Arson investigators were unable to determine the cause, he said. “The apartment where it started was heavily damaged, as heavily damaged as I’ve ever seen,” Nelson said. “There was no trace left of the furnishings in the living room and the dining room. Right now, we’re listing the cause as unknown.”

Damage was estimated at $450,000 to the building and $150,000 to the contents.