Costa Mesa family displaced by structure fire, reunited with dog

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue officials are investigating the cause of a residential fire that broke out Tuesday evening at an apartment complex on Baker Street, displacing one family and causing one minor injury.

Battalion Chief Chris Coates said Wednesday the department received a call regarding a structure fire at around 5 p.m. Tuesday. When firefighters arrived on scene to the 800 block of Baker Street, they saw smoke billowing from a second-story unit.

The bulk of the fire appeared to be concentrated in the kitchen area of the apartment, with flames spreading out into the rest of the unit. A swift response prevented the blaze from reaching any adjacent units, Coates added.

“Crews initiated an aggressive fire attack and quickly knocked out the fire, which confined it to the unit of origin and saved any further property loss or impact to the unit or adjacent units,” he said.

Residents were able to evacuate to safety, and firefighters quickly located a dog nearby and were able to reunite it with the family. Crews remained at the site to ensure no embers were remaining, overseeing salvage efforts and working with the Red Cross to facilitate temporary housing for the impacted family.

One individual at the scene sustained an injury during the incident and was treated with minor first aid but did not require hospitalization, Coates said. The cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.