No one hurt in fire thanks to smoke detector

-- Kenneth Ma

A smoke alarm was the hero in a house blaze that was contained before it

caused serious damage Thursday night in Newport Beach.

Firefighters quickly extinguished a water heater fire at the house in the

4600 block of Roxbury Road home Thursday night. The alert homeowner

called the Newport Beach Fire and Marine Department after hearing the

smoke detector sound off.

No one was injured in the fire. There was about $10,000 damage to the

home and its contents, according to authorities.

The flames originated in the water heater closet and would have quickly

spread throughout the house without anyone noticing -- if not for the

alarm, fire officials said.

Improper installation of the water heater is believed to have contributed

to the cause of the fire.