Firefighter Still Missing in Central California Library Fire That Killed Another Crew Member

A firefighter was killed and another was missing after a raging fire at a public library in Central California, officials said.

Heartbreaking Firefighters continue to battle a massive fire at the #Porterville Library.
Courtesy: Naji Abdullah. pic.twitter.com/lZH6g28XwA

— Kirsten Mitchell (@Kirsten_TV) February 19, 2020

There was no immediate detailed information about what happened to the two members of the Porterville Fire Department.

Tulare County Fire Department Capt. Joanne Bear said Wednesday that one remained unaccounted for.

The blaze was reported at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Porterville Public Library in Porterville, 50 miles (79 kilometers) north of Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley, fire officials said.

Staff called 911 when they noticed flames in the children’s section of the library, which has about 77,000 books, city librarian Vikki Cervantes told the Visalia Times Delta.

Flames shot through the roof of the library, which is located about a block from the local Fire Department. The first arriving firefighters quickly called for more assistance, officials said.

The library was built in 1953 and did not have fire sprinklers, Bear said.

More than 50 state, county and city crews battled the stubborn blaze for hours.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, officials said.