Brian Jackson was visiting a friend in downtown Riverside when a second-story apartment erupted in flames before dawn, sending injured residents outside and leaving others hanging from windows.
Jackson says the fire began with rechargeable batteries that started popping and throwing sparks. Riverside firefighters have not reached that conclusion: the department’s official incident report still lists no cause for the Sept. 17 fire.
As smoke and flames spread, Jackson said he came across a woman who told him she was eight months pregnant and was already halfway out a window. He persuaded her not to jump and began trying to work out another way down.
Jackson ended up falling from the building himself. He survived with both legs and both ankles broken, but his family says doctors have warned that the damage is severe enough that he could lose his legs.
At The Window
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Jackson described the moments before his fall in an interview with CBS Los Angeles.
“One of them went off, boom,” he said of what he believed was an electric scooter battery. “A loud boom and then it started shooting sparks.”
He ran through the apartment as the fire grew and found the pregnant woman at the window.
“She was already halfway out the window,” Jackson said. “I don’t think she realized how far she was.”
He persuaded her to stay inside while he tried to figure out how they could get down. During the rush to escape, Jackson fell from the window.
ABC7 later reported that Jackson said he had begun lowering himself when another explosion occurred and pushed him off.
Firefighters Arrive
The Riverside Fire Department received the call at about 2:16 a.m. and responded to 3476 5th Street.
Firefighters found a second-story apartment fully involved in flames. Two occupants were hanging from windows of an adjacent apartment, while other injured occupants were already on the ground.
Crews rescued the people at the windows and began treating the injured. Five civilians were ultimately transported for medical care — two with injuries the department classified as moderate and three with minor injuries. One firefighter was also transported.
The department reported no fatalities or critical injuries.
Firefighters contained the flames to the apartment where the fire originated, although the unit directly below sustained water damage. Three dogs were found dead and two others were rescued.
Four adults were displaced, and the Red Cross was contacted to assist them.
His First Question
Jackson’s injuries were extensive.
He told CBS Los Angeles that both legs and both ankles were broken. From his hospital bed, he said doctors were considering the possibility of amputating both legs.
His stepdaughter Maia Gutierrez said his immediate concern after he woke up was not what had happened to him.
“The first thing that he was concerned about was not himself,” she said. “He wanted to know if the mother and the baby were okay.”
Jackson said he believed they were safe. The Riverside Fire Department’s incident report does not identify individual patients or provide a separate condition update for the pregnant woman.
Jackson also rejected the idea that what he did made him a hero.
“I’d rather be amputated than dead,” he told CBS.
The Road Ahead
Jackson’s family has since launched a GoFundMe campaign for his surgeries, hospital expenses and rehabilitation.
Organizer Elexis Hernandez, who identifies Jackson as her stepfather, wrote that the family expects multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation. By Sept. 26, the campaign had raised more than $26,000 toward a $50,000 goal.
One part of the family’s account differs from the official record: the fundraiser describes the fire as occurring on the third story, while Riverside Fire identifies the burning unit as a second-story apartment.
The department said a fire investigator responded to the scene. As of its latest publicly posted incident information, Riverside Fire had not announced what caused the fire.