Good Samaritan alerts students in burning SLO apartment

May 10, 2019

San Luis Obispo fire officials are crediting a good Samaritan with saving the lives of four college students who were asleep early Friday morning in a burning apartment with disabled smoke detectors and no sprinkler system. [KSBY]

Shortly before 5 a.m., a fire broke out inside an apartment in the 200 block of California Boulevard. A Good Samaritan noticed the smoke and flames, knocked on the door and woke up the residents, enabling them to evacuate. One person suffered a minor first-degree burn and received treatment at the scene.

Fire Battalion Chief Neal Berryman said it was amazing the residents got out of the apartment, and there could easily have been four fatalities. The residents had disabled their smoke detectors and might not have woken up in time if the individual had not knocked on the door, Berryman said.

The apartment is located in a complex with no sprinkler system.

Firefighters arrived and found the blaze had ignited on the first floor of the apartment building in a room with a shut door, which kept the blaze from spreading.

Investigators determined a burning candle was on a nightstand started the blaze.

Authorities briefly closed the 200 block of California Boulevard. The street has since reopened to traffic.