Firefighters battling blaze rescue man from roof in Costa Mesa

Firefighters rescued a man from the roof of a building near John Wayne Airport while they battled a blaze early Saturday, according to authorities.

The flames started at a two-story commercial building at 3140 Red Hill Avenue about 3:50 a.m., according to Costa Mesa fire Capt. Chris Coates.

Firefighters who arrived minutes later saw smoke coming from the roof where the fire apparently had started, Coates said.

Two people who were on the roof doing work at the building managed to escape by themselves, and firefighters helped a third man down, according to the fire department.

Crews took the rescued man to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach to be treated for smoke inhalation, Coates said.

About 42 firefighters had the blaze under control within an hour, according to Coates.

Investigators are trying to determine what started the flames. The fire significantly damaged the roof and spread to the second floor where it caused minimal damage, Coates said.