Fire claims house, family dog When...

Fire claims house, family dog

When firefighters on Engine Two pulled up to a residential fire in

the 1600 block of Thalia Street they were faced with a fully involved

fire that was starting to spread to a neighboring home.

“It was working on the house next to it,” said Capt. Dan Steffano

of Station Two.

The call came in at about 9:12 a.m. Friday from residents who

watched helplessly as their neighbors’ home was engulfed in flames.

Along with the crew from Engine One that arrived on their heels,

Steffano began an attack plan to save neighboring structures.

The family had already left for the day when the fire started,

Battalion Chief Jess Latendresse said. The husband returned from

grocery shopping to find his home surrounded by four Laguna engines,

four from the Orange County Fire Authority and two Orange County Fire

Authority ladder trucks. A neighbor contacted the wife at her work.

Sadly, the family dog was inside the home.

“Our people did hear the dog when they arrived on the scene,”

Latendresse said. “But there was nothing we could do to try to save

it.”

The fire was under control by 9:57 a.m., allowing firefighters to

enter the structure and begin their investigation. At this time the

fire is being ruled as accidental but it is still under

investigation, Latendresse said.

It caused about $15,000 in damages to the neighboring home. A

damage figure has not yet been affixed to the main home.

“One of the good things that came out of this is the support

system to help the family out,” he said. “One lady came up to them

with $100 in cash and asked them to take it.”

-- Mary A. Castillo

Emergency crews to participate in drill

The Laguna Beach Fire and Police departments will participate in a

statewide disaster drill next Thursday.

They will practice responding to a suspected terrorist attack on a

central telecommunications facility. About 20 “victims” will be

treated and transported to local hospitals, while fire and police

manage the emergency scene.

“Disaster exercises assess the effectiveness and evaluate the

readiness of our community emergency preparedness programs and

communications links,” Battalion Chief Mark Baker said in a written

statement.

South Coast Medical Center, Mission Regional Hospital, Orange

County Fire Authority, Mercy Air Ambulance and the Orange County

Amateur Radio Emergency Services are among the agencies that will

participate.

-- Mary A. Castillo