San Jacinto Man Suffers Burns to More Than 30% of His Body in Fire Incident

SAN JACINTO (CNS) – A man was burned Tuesday in a fire at a San Jacinto property, prompting firefighters to request an emergency airlift, though air crews were delayed by foul weather.

The burn injury was reported shortly after 4 p.m. near the intersection of San Jacinto Avenue and Shaver Street, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The circumstances were not immediately clear, but according to the agency, fire personnel reached the location within 10 minutes and found the victim suffering burns to more than 30% of his body, as well as battling inhalation burns.

Paramedics initially requested a Mercy Air helicopter, but the pilots declined to retrieve the patient due to rainfall and extensive cloud cover, obscuring visibility, according to reports from the scene.

A Reach Air Medical Services helicopter crew later acknowledged that they would be able to make the flight. As of 5 p.m., the chopper was en route to pick up the patient, who had been taken to the golf course at the nearby Soboba Casino Resort, where a makeshift landing zone was set up.

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