BAKERSFIELD, Calif, Thursday afternoon, Kern County firefighters were dispatched to reports of a person stuck in the chimney of a residential building. Upon arrival, crews confirmed the incident was involving one person, trapped inside the chimney of a single-story family dwelling. There was no one home at the residence as firefighters attempted to gain access to the patient. Firefighters used ladders to climb onto the roof and found one female, conscious and breathing, under severe distress due to tight conditions and unknown injuries. The KCFD Urban Search & Rescue Team was requested to respond to the incident.

To access the patient crews began to breach the chimney walls, removing brick and mortar from the interior and exterior. The crews on the roof attempted to calm the patient and lower oxygen to her. The crews also lowered ropes to the patient from above, attempting to lift her out, but with no success. The patient was being squeezed too tightly between the chimney walls. Crews began making progress on the exterior wall and USAR47 arrived with specialized tools to open the exterior chimney. After about an hour of labor an opening was created large enough for crews to extricate the victim, who was situation on top of the flume with her hands above her head. Once the patient was safely removed, Hall Ambulance assumed patient care, providing treatment and transportation to a local area hospital.