Firefighters pull unconscious man from smoke-filled building in City Heights

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — Firefighters pulled an unconscious man from a smoky apartment this morning in City Heights, performing CPR and other life-saving measures as the man was rushed to a hospital with unknown injuries. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department crews were dispatched to the site of the fire just after 2 a.m. in the 3500 block of 42nd Street, where they encountered a "small fire in the apartment, maybe contained to the kitchen," Capt. Tim Robles said.

"After the fire was knocked down, firefighters did a primary search, finding an unconscious victim, a male, in the back bedroom," Robles said. "There was a lot of smoke in the apartment, so good chance he was overcome by smoke."

The man appeared to be the only person inside the apartment, Robles said. Firefighters "pulled him out and started medical resuscitation and he was transported to an area hospital."

The blaze did not spread to other units in the complex and was mostly contained to the one-bedroom apartment’s kitchen, Robles said. Authorities were investigating the cause.