Ventura County Firefighter Injured By Flying Shrapnel

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A Ventura County firefighter sustained a serious eye injury Monday after being struck by shrapnel exploding out of a burning house, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

Capt. Ron Oatman, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) told the Ventura County Star when they arrived at the Thousand Oaks home there were hundreds of rounds of ammunition going off. "It sounded like something you might hear at a Chinese New Year's celebration," Oatman said.

Paul Torres, 36, an 8-year veteran of the department, was outside the structure providing exposure protection to a neighbor's home when he was injured. Torres was taken to Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center and then airlifted to UCLA Medical Center. Torres underwent five hours of surgery and doctors are cautiously optimistic he will recover his eyesight, according to VCFD.

The two-story home was destroyed by the blaze which started after a toaster caught fire, according to Eric Buschow, a detective and spokesman for the Thousand Oaks Police Department. A paper towel placed on top of the toaster caught fire, was extinguished and later taken outside to a large trash can next to the house where it smoldered, causing the blaze, according to Buschow.

According to Buschow, the ammunition in the home appeared to be over-the-counter munitions.

Residents of the home are cooperating with authorities as an investigation continues, according to the paper.