On Thursday, April 14th, 2022, at 12:09 am, the Turlock Fire Department was dispatched to a reported vehicle fire at 250 D St, Turlock.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they found a fully involved Chevrolet sedan. Firefighters began fire attack and were able to quickly extinguish the fire, keeping it contained to only the vehicle.

A victim suffering third-degree burns was located nearby. He was airlifted by PHI Air Medical Services to a regional burn center. Surgery was performed and he is currently in critical but stable condition.

The Turlock Police Department and Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigations Unit responded to the scene to conduct an arson investigation. At this point in time, this does not appear to be an arson, however, the investigation remains on-going and that is subject to change at any time. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

Surveillance footage obtained by detectives showed that the victim had originally been in the back seat of the vehicle and had been pulled out by a good samaritan while the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. The good samaritan did not remain on scene and detectives are asking that they come forward to provide a statement.

The investigation remains on-going. Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is encouraged to call Detective Brandon Bertram at 209-664-7323.