Faulty Wiring Causes $100,000 Home Blaze in Santa Ana

SANTA ANA —  A fire touched off by faulty wiring Saturday evening destroyed most of a house occupied by a family of four, but no injuries were reported, fire officials said.

The blaze at 1369 W. Park Lane was put out within 15 minutes, but firefighters were too late to save the roof and top floor of the two-story home, Battalion Chief Tom Skelly said.

He estimated the damage at $100,000.

The homeowner, John Wilson, was in the house with his wife and two teen-age children when his wife “heard popping sounds in the attic,” Skelly said.

“She saw smoke coming from the crawl hole and screamed, ‘Fire! Fire! Fire!” he said.

Wilson ran to get a garden hose and tried to extinguish the blaze, “but there was insufficient water,” Skelly said. “It had no effect on the fire.”

Flames quickly spread upward and engulfed the roof. Most of the second floor was also destroyed, but firefighters salvaged most of the Wilsons’ belongings on the first floor.

Skelly said firefighters discovered that aluminum wiring had been spliced to copper wiring in the attic. The incompatible combination touched off a spark.

“Aluminum versus copper, that’s a real no-no,” he said.

Firefighters arrived at 5:10 p.m., seven minutes after receiving the first call. Response time was slowed because another fire was being fought elsewhere at the same time, he said.