Firefighter injured in Costa Mesa house fire

A firefighter was injured battling an Eastside Costa Mesa house fire on Wednesday morning, officials said.

About 30 Costa Mesa firefighters responded to reports of a house belching out smoke on Sherwood Street, off Santa Ana Avenue.

When the first crews arrived, they ran hoses to the front and back of the two-story house and began looking for two elderly residents, Deputy Chief Fred Seguin said.

Firefighters, however, weren’t able to get more than 10 feet inside because of the dense smoke.

“Smoke was coming out of the garage, the upstairs windows, the roof,” neighbor Jeff Longman said.

When engines arrived, firefighters were able to cut holes in the roof to vent the smoke so they could attack the flames, Seguin said.

The department doused the fire in about 30 minutes, he said. The residents weren’t home and were later found safe.

One firefighter suffered from smoke inhalation. His mask came off while inside the house, causing him to breathe in smoke, but he made it outside and was taken to a local hospital, Seguin said.

The flames started on the home’s first floor, and investigators are working to determine the cause, fire officials said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck