Man Critically Burned In Kitchen Explosion Near RivCo Church
GOOD HOPE, CA — A commercial kitchen at a church property was involved in an explosion and fire near unincorporated Perris Thursday morning, Cal Fire spokesperson Tawny Castro said. One person was critically injured and taken by air to a nearby hospital for burn treatment.
Emergency responders answered the call of the explosion shortly after 10:15 a.m. at a property on 24101 Christmas Tree Lane, near Slaughter Road, in the unincorporated community near Perris, Castro said.
Firefighters encountered difficulties reaching the location due to poor road conditions leading into the church property, and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputies were the first to arrive at the scene.
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Officers discovered one man with numerous burn injuries that were “critical,” and a private medical evacuation helicopter was called in. They flew the patient from a “makeshift landing zone near the church to Arrowhead Regional Burn Center for treatment around 11:30 a.m.,” according to reports from the scene.
No one else was injured in the blast.
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Firefighters worked to quell the blaze at the 200-square-foot building, which had partially collapsed when they arrived. Just after 11 a.m, the fire was completely contained. Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene into Thursday afternoon as they salvaged and overhauled the facility.
There was no immediate word regarding what might have triggered the explosion.
Both SoCal Edison and SoCal Gas Co. technicians were summoned to the location. No other information was immediately available. The location is described as the Kamlim Retreat Center, which was last known to be under renovation in 2019. No one at the center or the church was available for comment.
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