Firefighters put out fire in Arch Beach Heights
Firefighters quickly put out a home fire early Sunday morning in the 900 block of Santa Ana Street, in the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood, according to Laguna Beach Fire Division Chief Dan Stefano.
No one was in the home at the time and there were no injuries, Stefano said in an email.
The fire department responded to the call just before 6 a.m., and the first engine arrived on the scene to “heavy, dark smoke coming form the multi-level structure, with floors above and below street level, “ he said.
Laguna Engine No. 3, led by Capt. Patrick Brennan and his crew, had to force their way in to the home.
“Temperatures in excess of 980 degrees were observed on the thermal imaging camera during the firefighting and search operations,” Stefano added.
More than 26 firefighters, including some from the Orange County Fire Authority, battled the fire, which they put out within 15 minutes of arrival, according to Stefano. After knocking down the fire, they began to search the home for residents, but there were none inside.
Two fire investigators were on the scene. They made efforts to contact the propety owner, who has been out of the area, neighbors told them.
Early damage assessments for the property and its contents were estimated at $300,000, and investigators are still determining a cause.
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