OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) - A fire broke out Tuesday morning at Fire Station 3 in Oceanside when no first responders were inside to put it out.
The flames broke out in a rear dorm room on the second floor adjacent to a furnace in the wall, said Oceanside Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Stein.
People driving by saw the fire at 3101 Oceanside Blvd. and reported it, said Stein.
Twenty-seven firefighters from Carlsbad and other stations in Oceanside responded to the scene to put out the fire. The five Oceanside firefighters who were on duty with Station 3 were not available at the time the flames broke out.
The second floor of the station was damaged by smoke and flames, Stein said. The first floor had minimal damage.
“This is really a hit to the city because it’s centrally located,” Stein said.
Although Stein did not have an estimate on when repairs would be completed, he said Fire Station 3 firefighters would be displaced at least a month.
“We’re relocating them to other fire stations throughout the city,” said Stein.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is being handled by the Vista Fire Department.
