Burbank fire units were dispatched to a potential business fire on Monday night at 7:25 pm at the Subway Restaurant, located at 2017 N. Hollywood Way in a strip mall for a report of smoke in the building and employees passed out inside.
Engine 14 was the first on scene and reported no smoke being seen, but once they entered the restaurant found a female employee unconscious and unresponsive in the back and there was a slight ‘haze’ of smoke inside. After summoning paramedics to come in to treat the victim they continued their search where they found the restroom door locked and believed there was someone inside.
After forcing entry into the restroom, they found another employee who was unconscious with critical burns to the left side of his body. A second paramedic squad was called to treat and transport the victim to a local hospital. Firefighters on the scene surmised that a torch had exploded and set some papers and clothing on fire. The fire did not spread to any other parts of the structure.
Both victims were in critical condition and were transported to different hospitals.
According to Sergeant Brent Fekety of the Burbank Police Department, “The male employee’s shirt was smoldering and charred. Both employees appeared to have been suffering from a drug overdose and were treated at the scene prior to being transported to local hospitals. In the bathroom where the male employee was located, officers located a torch lighter, drug paraphernalia, and narcotics.”
The female employee was transported for further treatment pertaining to a drug overdose while the male was taken to a different hospital for further treatment pertaining to a drug overdose, as well as burns sustained to his arm.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by both the Police and Fire Departments.
