Blaze badly damages home in East Valinda

EAST VALINDA -- A large fire displaced a family Sunday and caused an estimated $180,000 worth of damage to a house and its contents, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported at 2:25 p.m. at a single-story house at 17422 Glenthorpe Street, dispatch supervisor Robert Diaz said.
No one was injured in the fire, though a 32-year-man was taken to a hospital for evaluation because he had singed hair, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Gary Black said.
"The house was well-involved (with fire) on fire department arrival," Black said.
Seven adults and one child had gotten themselves out of the home before rescuers arrived, he added.
Firefighters attacked the blaze from all angles and cut holes in the home's roof to ventilate the blaze, officials said.
The fire was extinguished in under 20 minutes from when it was reported, Black said, and firefighters began the work of salvaging what items could be saved from the badly scorched home.
The fire gutted the home, causing about $150,000 worth of damage to the structure and about $30,000 worth of damage to the contents of the home, he added.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, though it initially appeared to have ignited in the kitchen, the captain said.
The family made their own arrangements for temporary lodging, officials said, and the Red Cross was not needed.

PHOTO by Brian Day