Police
say a suspected burglar died after becoming stuck in the chimney of a
California home Saturday afternoon when the unsuspecting homeowner lit a
fire. Fresno County Sheriff's Lt. Brandon
Pursell said a homeowner in the rural town of Huron heard someone yell
after lighting a fire in his fireplace.
Pursell said the homeowner called 911 and also tried to put out the fire as his house began to fill with smoke.
Firefighters who rushed to the chaotic scene used jackhammers to break open the brick chimney in an attempt to rescue the man.
However, the suspected burglar, who was not immediately identified, had died during the attempted rescue.
Pursell said the man was responsive during the rescue and appeared to be breathing and moving inside of the chimney.
According to KFSN, a preliminary
investigation showed that the man had climbed into the chimney sometime
overnight to burglarize the home when he became stuck.
