Fatal apartment fire in Citrus Heights leads to woman’s death

By Mike Hazlip—
A woman rescued from an apartment fire in Citrus Heights on Tuesday morning has died, according to a release by the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

Metro Fire crews responding to the early morning fire around 3:48 a.m. found the woman inside a unit at the Montage at Fair Oaks apartment complex, located at 12801 Fair Oaks Blvd. She was transported to an area hospital where she was later pronounced deceased, the release said. The victim’s identity has not been released.

Authorities said the cause is accidental and that reports of an explosion with broken windows were a result of the “tremendous heat and pressure generated inside the structure, resulting in a catastrophic failure of the windows.”

The building where the fire started has 20 units and incurred “significant damage,” according to the release. Six units were affected, with two of those directly involved in the fire.

Video from the scene posted by Metro Fire on social media shows heavy flames coming out of one or more lower story units.  The release did not give information on how many residents were displaced as a result of the fire.

Temporary fencing had already been placed around the affected units by around 11 a.m. Tuesday, with windows also observed boarded up.

“The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District extends its deepest condolences to those affected by this devastating event,” the release said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Metro Fire reminded the public of the importance of fire safety measures such as ensuring there are working smoke detectors and having an evacuation plan for all occupants in the home.