Fresno firefighter burned in house fire that began 12 hours before he arrived

One firefighter was injured early Sunday morning while battling a house fire in central Fresno that began 12 hours before the fire department was called, said Fresno fire Battalion Chief Larry French.

French said a fire began Saturday afternoon on a stove top in a home on the 4400 block of Crystal Avenue. The resident thought it had been fully put out and the fire department was not called, French said.

Unbeknownst to the resident, the fire continued to smolder for more than 12 hours in the ventilation that leads to the attic.

At 1:30 a.m., neighbors called 911 to report the home on fire and firefighters responded to smoke and flames coming from the attic.

A firefighter was burned in the face during a search to make sure no one was in the home and was assessed on scene. He was taken to the hospital for treatment for a minor burn, French said.

No one else was injured in the fire, but the home was heavily damaged.

This story was originally published November 6, 2016 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Fresno firefighter burned in house fire that began 12 hours before he arrived."