Traffic Delays Firefighters On Way To East Palo Alto Blaze

A man suffered smoke inhalation in a house fire in East Palo Alto on Monday evening that some firefighters had trouble getting to because of heavy traffic, Menlo Park Fire Protection Chief Harold Schapelhouman said today.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene in the 2200 block of Pulgas Avenue at 6:08 p.m. The first unit arrived by 6:11 p.m., but others were delayed by traffic and did not arrive until 6:19 p.m., Schapelhouman said.

“It makes me nervous to hear calls like that, because stuff can go wrong,” Schapelhouman said.

The victim was treated by first responders at the scene but declined transport to a hospital, according to Schapelhouman.

The fire, which caused an estimated $80,000 in structural damage and $40,000 to the home’s contents, was caused by an improperly vented dryer, Schapelhouman said.

“It built up heat and combustibles were there,” he said.

As for the traffic delay, the chief said it’s an issue the district’s firefighters have had to deal with more often recently.

“In the last nine months our guys have noticed a huge uptick in the amount of traffic on calls we’re responding to,” Schapelhouman said. “It’s delaying our response and with a fire, you want to get there as soon as possible.”

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District strives to be on scene within eight minutes, but Schapelhouman said that has become increasingly difficult in recent months due to roadway conditions.

“The good news is the economy’s better, the bad news is that traffic has gotten worse,” he said.

--Bay City News

--Image via Shutterstock

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