Firefighters rescue 2 people from burning Oakland hotel room

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Firefighters rescued two people from a burning motel room in Oakland Saturday evening, a fire official said.

Fire crews responded at 7:31 p.m. to 444 W. MacArthur Blvd. on a report of a working fire, Battalion Chief Geoff Hunter said.

Hunter said fire crews arrived to find Room 220 engulfed in flames. The room is on the second floor of a two-story building, he said.

Two people were inside the burning room but firefighters were able to get them out of the building, Hunter said.

A man and a woman, who were inside the room, suffered third-degree burns and Hunter said another woman suffered minor burns. They were transported to an area hospital, he said.

Firefighters were able to contain the one-alarm fire to the single motel room, he said.

Hunter said the firefighters did "an excellent job" containing the fire and rescuing the two burn victims.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Hunter said it appears that misuse of flammable materials ignited the blaze.

The motel guests are expected to be able to return to their rooms this evening, as the rest of the hotel is habitable, he said.

Hunter estimated the total damage to be around $50,000.

The fire is considered accidental, but Hunter said fire investigators are coordinating with Oakland police to continue the investigation into the cause of the blaze.