fire: February 2012 Archives
BALDWIN PARK -- A fire caused major damage to a house and detached garage late Saturday, however the residents escaped injury, authorities said.
The blaze broke out shortly before 10 p.m. at a house in the 4000 block of Bogart Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Clyde Taylor said.
The fire, which was believed to have been sparked by an electrical problem, caused about $180,000 worth of damage to the home and its contents, Taylor said.
The residents had all evacuated themselves prior to firefighters' arrival, she added.
The fire was determined to be accidental, Taylor said, and investigators were looking into the possibility that "faulty wiring" was to blame.
AZUSA -- A home was badly severely damaged an an elderly woman suffered minor injuries in a house fire Friday, police said.
The fire broke out about 4:45 p.m. in the 100 block of South Louise Avenue, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said.
"Officers arrived first to find a single-story residence fully involved in smoke and flames," he said. "The lone resident, an elderly female, was located outside of the home and treated for minor smoke inhalation by paramedics."
The woman was taken to a hospital for further treatment, officials said.
The home sustained "major fire and smoke damage," Madaloni said, however a dollar-value estimate was not immediately available.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
PASADENA -- Firefighters found a 70-year-old woman dead following a fire in her condominium early Wednesday, authorities said.
Susan Eaton Adams died in the fire, which was reported just before 1:30 a.m. at a condominium complex in the 300 block of West California Boulevard, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
An upstairs neighbor, a man in his 30s, was alerted to the fire by his smoke detector, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
"He called 9-1-1 and ran down stairs, but couldn't access the unit right away," she said.
Firefighters arrived within five minutes and discovered a couch inside the condominium unit was ablaze, officials said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire and pulled the 70-year-old woman out of the home, Derderian said. She had been asleep on the couch.
Rescuers performed CPR in an attempt to resuscitate the Adams, Derderian said, however she succumbed to her injuries.
The woman's pet cat also died the in the fire, officials said.
Investigators determined the fire started due to a cigarette on the couch.
Coroner's investigators will perform an autopsy do determine exactly how Adams died, Winter said. The examination had not been scheduled Wednesday morning.
Damage to the condominium and its contents was estimated at about $175,000, officials said. The fire was isolated to one unit, and neighbors were not displaced.
STAFF PHOTO by Walt Mancini
EAST VALINDA -- A fire badly damaged a home early Thursday, though the residents escaped injury, officials said.
Firefighters responded to a report of a blaze about 6:20 a.m. at the rear house on a property in the 200 block of North Hambledon Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Quvondo Johnson said.
The home was well-involved with fire when firefighters arrived, however the home's residents had gotten out safely, according to fire and sheriff's officials said.
Firefighters battled the blaze for more than 20 minutes before it was extinguished, Johnson said.
The damage to the home was extensive, however a dollar-value estimate was not immediately available, officials said. The cause of the remained under investigation.
The Red Cross was summoned to the scene to help find temporary lodging for eight adults and two children displaced from the home, Johnson said.
WHITTIER -- A fire damaged a home, along with a 75-year-old pickup truck, but caused no injuries Friday, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported just after 11:30 a.m. at a house in the 14300 block of Chestnut Street, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Quvondo Johnson said.
"On arrival, we did see smoke and fire coming from a single-story, single-family dwelling," he said.
A man who lives at the home returned from a trip to the store just before firefighters arrived, Capt. Matt Arledge said. He and a neighbor were trying to control the flames with water hoses.
Firefighters extinguished the flames by 11:50 a.m., Johnson said. No one was injured.
The fire mainly scorched only one room of the home, however the house sustained smoke damage throughout, Battalion Chief Ron Cabrera said. The blaze left the home uninhabitable pending repairs.
The blaze caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage to the home and its contents, including a 1937 Chevrolet pickup truck parked at the property, the residents, Keith and Nancy Kowalsi, had been restoring, officials said.
The couple has invested about $20,000 in the project and had planned to continue the restoration, Nancy Kowalsi said.
Additionally, Nancy Kowalski said, a chest she inherited from her mother containing china and a doll collection was consumed by the blaze.
Nonetheless, she said she was just happy no one was hurt.
"It's all stuff," she said. "It can be replaced."
Nancy Kowalski said she normally would be home at the time the fire broke out, but she was delayed at work Friday due to a malfunctioning copy machine.
The couple has lived in the home for 15 years, she added.
The cause of the fire was initially believed to be accidental, possibly caused by discarded smoking materials, officials said.
ARCADIA -- An intense fire Thursday destroyed a vacant Arcadia home that was in the process of being sold, authorities said.
The fire was first reported about 6:25 p.m. in the 1300 block of South First Avenue, Arcadia Fire Department spokeswoman Beth Stogner said in a written statement.
Both Arcadia and Monrovia firefighters responded to the blaze, which had already engulfed the home when they arrived, Stogner said.
"The structure was dangerously unstable due to a heavy interior fire load," she said. "Taking a defensive stance, firefighters extinguished the fire utilizing exterior tactics."
The fire did not spread to nearby structures, including the nearby Richard Henry Dana Middle School gym, officials said.
The cause of the fire, which caused an estimated $300,000 worth of damage, remained under investigation, Stogner said.
The home was vacant and was in the escrow process when the fire occurred, she said.
PHOTOS courtesy of the Arcadia Fire Department
CONTRIBUTORS
|
| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
|
|
Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
Recent Comments
opuvoxittze on Arson suspected in Pasadena house fire: PCj846 zycpnjmqxrbx ...
nttzcmuhowu on Three men steal $25,000 from elderly Norwalk woman: T321h5 bfcxvpoqhksq ...
twhbsduvmf on Shooting reported in Norwalk: IGqhxM xxmnpsgknjjn ...
eebpia on Officials: Suspect shot by CHP in Industry brandished handgun: icWtJ2 aauuetxqddlg ...
draecghzf on Saw this on MyDeath Space: 1eWiZk wkdthvhojvfv ...
pccmpwqqsnk on La Habra man charged with $5 million fraud becomes fugitive after missing court appearance: lPVC5b gsibedmzkecj ...
wkhdaaylrzs on Police detective shot in Long Beach: dvALWi tgaqownwdpep ...
tdhorvvbj on Police urge caution after 'hot prowl' burglaries in Arcadia: q3IEQ1 jpwhaoekihsr ...
xuhjdatk on O.J.'s LONGEST RUN: eAX2b2 jwqhtyigctgf ...