Early morning fire damages Newport Beach attic

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- An early morning fire Tuesday that originated in a

trash can caused extensive damage to a Santiago Drive home, officials

said.

Firefighters received a call about 3:15 a.m. reporting smoke and

flames coming from the roof of a home in the 2100 block of Santiago

Drive, Newport Beach fire officials said.

A neighbor from across the street reportedly made the 911 call. The

homeowner, meanwhile, became alerted by a neighbor and was outside when

the Fire Department arrived, officials said.

Once at the scene, firefighters saw the fire had spread up the

exterior of the house, onto the roof and into the attic. They attacked

the flames from the outside and checked the interior of the attic to

ensure the fire had not spread further. Ceilings were pulled down to help

extinguish the fire, which had spread inside the home.

Officials said the fire started in a trash can next to the home. They

said the homeowner told fire officials she had discarded fireplace ashes

in the trash earlier.

Most of the damage from the fire was confined to the outside wall,

roof and attic area. Smoke and water damage, however, was extensive

inside.

Twenty-six firefighters from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa responded

with five engines, two trucks, a paramedic unit and a battalion chief,

and they fought the fire for a little more than 10 minutes.

After a safety check by city officials and Southern California Edison,

the owner was allowed to return to the home, officials said. No financial

estimate was available on the damage.