RivCo Sheriff's Deputies were the first to arrive at the remote location and found a man in critical condition with multiple burns.
GOOD HOPE, Calif. — An explosion and fire engulfed a commercial kitchen on a church property near unincorporated Perris Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire spokesperson Tawny Castro. One person was seriously injured and was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment of burns.
Emergency responders responded to a call of an explosion just after 10:15 a.m. at the property at 24101 Christmas Tree Lane near Slaughter Road in the unincorporated community near Perris, Castro said.
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Poor road conditions leading to the church grounds made it difficult for firefighters to reach the scene, and Riverside County Sheriff's Department deputies were among the first to arrive.
Reports from the scene said officers found a “critically ill” man with multiple burns, and a civilian medical evacuation helicopter was called. Reports from the scene said the helicopter flew the patient from a “temporary landing zone near the church at approximately 11:30 a.m.” .
No one else was injured in the explosion.
Firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire in the 200-square-foot building, but by the time they arrived, part of the building had collapsed. The fire was completely extinguished just after 11 a.m. Firefighters were expected to remain on scene until Thursday afternoon, recovering and inspecting the facility.
There is currently no word on what caused the explosion.
Both SoCal Edison and SoCal Gas Co. technicians were called to the location. No other information was readily available. The site, known as the Cam Rim Retreat Center, was last known to be undergoing renovations in 2019, but officials at the center and the church were not immediately available for comment.
