Fresno firefighter injured, kittens rescued in house fire response

Flames began pushing toward a neighboring home in central Fresno before firefighters could get the fire under control, leaving one responder injured and several kittens pulled to safety.

Crews were called just after noon Sunday, April 26, 2026, to the 1100 block of East San Ramon Avenue near Third Street. Firefighters saw a visible column of smoke while en route and asked for additional help before arriving. When crews reached the single-story home, heavy smoke was pouring out and flames had already started to spread toward the house next door.

No one was inside the home, firefighters said, but several kittens were trapped inside and were rescued during the response. One firefighter was injured after falling into an open hole in the living room floor. The firefighter’s condition was not immediately clear.

Crews kept the fire from fully involving the neighboring house, which sustained only slight damage. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

The call underscored the mix of danger and urgency Fresno firefighters face on neighborhood house fires, where a fast knockdown can prevent a larger block-by-block emergency. The Fresno Fire Department, which has served the city since 1877, operates from 20 stations across Fresno and routinely handles both structure protection and animal rescues during the same incident, a role that was on display again on East San Ramon Avenue.