3 Suffer Injuries, Including 2 Firefighters, in Oxnard House Fire

Three people were injured in a fire Monday night that gutted a portion of a house near Via Marina Park.

The blaze was reported at 7:50 p.m. at 1810 Helm Drive, and within five minutes was upgraded to a two-alarm fire.

“I was in the back of the house and I heard sirens,” said a neighbor who requested anonymity. “They got louder and louder, and then I looked outside and saw the flames.”

Firefighters arrived to find the single-story house fully involved in flames. The kitchen, living room and dining room were gutted, authorities said.

A 38-year-old woman was there at the time of the blaze. Authorities said she was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center for smoke inhalation.

Marina Pech, who also lives at the house but was away when the fire broke out, came home, fearing for the safety of her two dogs. But the animals had already been taken from the house, unharmed.

Two firefighters also were injured, including one who suffered minor burns and scrapes on his face after being hit by burning debris.

Investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blaze late Monday.

The American Red Cross was called to provide assistance to Pech and the others.