Recently in fire Category

PASADENA -- A fire destroyed a house and damaged another house and an apartment building late Saturday, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported about 7 p.m. at a vacant two-story house in the 300 block of South Oakland Avenue, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said. The home was undergoing renovations.
The initial firefighters to arrive at the burning craftsman-style home found it well-involved with fire and called for backup, Derderian said.
The fire spread to another nearby two-story house and an apartment building, she said. It was unclear how badly they were damaged, though 15 adults and one child were displaced.
Firefighters rescued a girl from one of the adjacent buildings, as well as a dog that had singed hair but was expected to be okay, Derderian said.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation Saturday night.

*PHOTO courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department

NORWALK -- Neighbors pulled a 106-year-old man from his burning house Sunday, rescuing him from a fire that killed his pet dog and cat, officials said.
The fire broke out about 1 a.m. at 12107 Lowemont Street, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Sterling Callahan said.
Neighbors saw smoke coming from house where the elderly man lived alone and went in to help, the captain said.
They found the man lying in bed and got him out of the burning home, he said.
When firefighters arrived only minutes later, the elderly man was outside the home, and the room where he was sleeping was "fully involved" with flames," Callahan said.
The 106-year-old resident suffered minor burns to his legs and smoke inhalation,he said, and was taken to a hospital where he was expected to recover.
A small dog and cat that were inside the home died in the fire, Callahan said. At least two other small dogs escaped the blaze.
The fire caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage to the house and its contents, he added. It was believed to have been started by an electric floor heater in the room where the man was sleeping.

PASADENA -- A fire damaged a Pasadena home Friday after the homeowner tried to reignite smoldering embers in a fireplace with gasoline, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 7:15 p.m. in at 1315 Hastings Ranch Drive, Pasadena Fire Department officials said in a written statement.
The homeowner had smoldering embers burning in a living room fireplace and tried to use gasoline to get the fire going again, officials said.
The gas burned up toward the container and started a fire in the living room, according to the statement. The homeowner was not hurt.
Two dozen firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, officials said, which caused about $60,000 worth of damage to the house.

TEMPLE CITY -- An elderly Temple City man who was pulled from his burning house by good Samaritans and a sheriff's deputy Friday died at the hospital Friday night, officials said.
Wayne Weber, 86, died at the hospital about six hours after the 2:50 p.m. fire at his home in at 10165 Bogue Street in Temple City, coroner's and sheriff's officials said.
Deputy Reynaldo Lainez and the good Samaritans found Weber lying down in the flaming house with burns covering 80 percent of his body, Lainez said.
The deputy himself was hospitalized for smoke inhalation following the incident.

TEMPLE CITY -- An elderly Temple City man was hospitalized with burns over 80 percent of his body Friday after a sheriff's deputy and a group of good Samaritans pulled him from his burning house, authorities said.
The 87-year-old resident, who suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns, was in critical condition, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.
The deputy was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and released several hours later, officials said. The three good Samaritans were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
Stowers said the actions of the deputy and good Samaritans likely saved the resident's life, Stowers said.
"I think if it hadn't have been for them going in we probably would have been dealing with a lot worse."
The blaze was reported at a single-story about 2:50 p.m. at 10165 Bogue Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mark Glatt said.
Sheriff's deputy Reynaldo Lainez was the first official to arrive at the scene and quickly learned there was an elderly man inside the burning home, the lieutenant said.
"After entering once and being forced out by the heat and smoke, Deputy Lainez entered a second time, located an 87-year-old male and sole occupant lying on the floor," sheriff's officials said in a written statement,
Lainez and a group of three good Samaritans entered the burning house to rescue the man, who was found lying on the floor, he said.
"Apparently, he may have fallen in either an effort to get out of the house, or as he got overcome with smoke," Stowers said.
Lainez and the good Samaritans pulled the injured man from the house, officials said.
Lainez said he was arriving at the scene of the fire when he was flagged down by a woman who told him there was someone inside the home.
Lainez went to the back of the home and entered through an open sliding glass door, he said, where he found the elderly man lying on the floor, and some good Samaritans already inside trying to get the man out.
"There were flames right next to him," Lainez said. "The smoke was really black and thick."
After being forced out of the home briefly by the smoke, the deputy and good Samaritans worked together to pull the 6-foot tall, 200 pound man from the house, Lainez said.
Lainez said he was glad the others were there to assist.
"It would have been very difficult to pull him out (myself)," he said.
Firefighters showed up about a minute after the man was pulled from the home, Lainez added.
The deputy said he was only doing his duty.
The fire appeared to have been contained mainly to the dining room of the home and a patio, Stowers said. The fire appeared to have caused about $75,000 worth of damage.
Stowers said firefighters were unable to find any smoke detectors in the home.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Friday.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- A fire destroyed a South El Monte home Friday, but injured no one, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported at 6:17 p.m. at 3042 Potrero Avenue, just north of Garvey Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Ruben Torrez said.
The small house's only resident arrived home and opened the front door, "and to his amazement, the whole inside was on fire," the captain said.
The first fire engine arrived five minutes later and found the house involved in heavy smoke and fire, Dispatch Supervisor Bernard Peters said. The residents had already gotten themselves out of the home.
Firefighters extinguished the flames about 15 minutes after the fire was reported, Peters said.
The home was under construction and there were very few items inside, Torrez said. The value of the damage was estimated at $60,000.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, Torrez said, however it started in a bedroom and initially appeared to be electrical in nature.
The captain added that the displaced man told authorities he would stay with friends in the immediate future.

PASADENA -- A fire caused about $350,000 worth of damage to a Pasadena home Sunday, authorities said.
The blaze was reported just after 4:30 p.m. at a large, two-story home in the 300 block of Manford Way, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
A man and woman were displaced in the fire, but were going to find temporary lodgings with friends or relatives, Derderian said.
Firefighters encountered flames in the walls and attic of the home upon arrival, she said.
About 28 firefighters extinguished the fire in about 20 minutes, she added.
Two cats were missing after the fire, Derderian said, however officials believe they escaped the blaze.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.

PHOTO courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department

PASADENA -- A fire damaged a house and displaced two families Saturday, officials said.
The blaze was reported about 9:20 p.m. at 1438 N. Garfield Avenue, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The fire caused about $100,000 worth of damage to the house and its contents, officials said.
Two families - amounting to seven children and four adults -- were displaced by the blaze, authorities said. The Red Cross placed on of the families at a nearby motel, while the other family chose to stay with relatives.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, officials said, and firefighters requested city officials inspect the home.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- A fire damaged a South El Monte upholstery manufacturing business Thursday, authorities said.
The blaze was reported about 6:20 p.m. at the business at 9904 Hayward Way, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.
About 60 firefighters extinguished the fire in just under an hour, he said.
The fire in the 200-foot by 150-foot commercial building mainly centered in the warehouse portion of the structure, Stowers said.
No injuries were reported, he added. The business was closed for the day when the fire broke out.
The cause remained under investigation, Stowers said.
A dollar-value estimate of the damage to the building and its contents was not available late Thursday, he said, though it did not appear to be a total loss.

COVINA -- Firefighters made quick work of a 1-acre brush fire Friday reported in an unincorporated county area known as Covina Hills, authorities said.
The blaze was reported about 2:30 p.m. along the westbound 10 Freeway near Via Verde, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Frederic Stowers said.
Five fire engines and a helicopter were able to extinguish the flames in about 20 minutes, he said.
The fire was initially reported as a quarter-acre of brush burning uphill through light brush, Stowers said.
No injuries were reported and the fire did not appear to have threatened any structured, he added.
The cause remained under investigation.

BASSETT -- A mobile home was destroyed by fire Saturday, though the resident was able to escape unharmed, authorities said.
The blaze broke out about 8 p.m. at the Wildwood Mobile Home Country Club, 901 Sixth Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said.
Officials found the mobile home engulfed in flames, it was ultimately declared a total loss, the lieutenant said.
The dollar-value of the damage was estimated at $100,000, he added.
The cause of the fire initially appeared to have been some sort of electrical short, Yokoyama said.

No evacuations underway, but this might be the season's first wildfire, from Valley News:

TEMECULA- A wildland fire that began at approximately 2:34 p.m. west of Temecula in the De Luz area of Riverside County is now reported to have encompasses between 75 and 100 acres.

With winds of 10 to 15 miles per hour, officials say the blaze is moving toward Winchester Road.

Rancho California Road has now been closed in both direction at Business Center Drive.

Firefighters on the scene say the fire is burning in steep, dense terrain in heavy fuel (brush-filled) areas.

Fire officials have not indicated any evacuations are underway at this time.

Authorities are responding to a two-alarm commercial structure fire in the 13200 block of East Brooks Drive in Baldwin Park. Apparently one unit of the building is heavily involved in flames. Intrepid SGV Trib reporter Jennifer McLain is on the way to the scene. More details as they come in...