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Fire photographer Rick McClure offered some photos of firefighters and police officers working at a recent raging house fire in Burbank, California.
At around 10:45 pm Friday, June 15, 2018, the Burbank Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 1500 block of North Niagara Street. The Burbank Police Department also responded with reports of a barricaded suspect.
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Police responding to the area heard what they thought were shots being fired and came upon a house fire. Officers made contact with three people inside the home and helped them escape safely, according to Lt. Adam Cornils.
When firefighters first arrived, they could not battle the flames because of safety concerns over a barricaded, armed suspect at the scene. Ultimately, members wearing bulletproof vests were able to get water on the fire with the help of a police escort. Firefighters kept the flames from spreading to nearby homes but the engulfed home was a total loss. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene.
Two other recent incidents in California underscored the critical importance of fire and police agency cooperation on scene. In one, a veteran Long Beach (CA) fire captain died and another member was injured after being shot at the scene of a fire call in a senior living center, while in another incident two police officers were shot after firefighters forced entry in a barricade situation in San Diego.
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