Victorville House Fire Leaves Man Dead, Wife Critically Injured; Two Deputies Injured
VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A devastating house fire Monday morning in Victorville claimed the life of a man, left his wife critically injured, and resulted in minor injuries to two deputies, as well as the death of one dog while another was rescued and revived at the scene.
The fire was reported at about 9:08 a.m. on December 8 in the 12400 block of Crestline Road near Northstar Avenue. Heavy black smoke was visible from several miles away, prompting a rapid response from emergency crews.
According to Jenni Smith, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to reports of a house fire with the possibility of occupants still inside. Upon entry, they located an adult female and began immediate rescue efforts.
Fire personnel later located an adult male inside a bedroom, where he was pronounced deceased at the scene. His identity is pending next‑of‑kin notification, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Two deputies sustained minor injuries during the rescue efforts and were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Family members confirmed that the two individuals inside the home were a husband and wife who live at the residence with other family members. The wife was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. Her current condition has not been released. The husband did not survive the fire.
A witness described chaotic moments as neighbors and deputies tried to gain access to the burning property before firefighters arrived.
Witnesses said a neighbor from across the street was the first to notice the smoke and began yelling to alert nearby residents and the people inside the home. His calls for help quickly drew the attention of others in the neighborhood.
“When we pulled in there was a cop and another male trying to break the fence,” the witness said. “I got off to help them and we broke the fence, and I told the officer that there is a window that connects to the garage, so we broke the window. He started yelling for people to get out of the house.”
The witness said his wife saw firefighters locate the elderly woman near the front door.
“She looked like she was trying to get out but she was severely burnt, not even moving,” he said. “Her whole top part of her body, she had clothing on, so from the waist up she was burnt.”
Also inside the home were two small dogs. One of the dogs did not survive, while the second was rescued and revived by emergency crews at the scene.
Investigators from the San Bernardino County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department responded to conduct a joint investigation.
The Coroner’s Office and the Sheriff’s Arson and Bomb Squad were also requested to the scene to assist with the ongoing inquiry.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. This is a developing story and additional information will be updated as it becomes available.
Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to contact the Victorville Police Station at (760)241-2911 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at (760) 956-5001. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or you may leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com
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