Two Newport fires doused

This corrects an earlier version of the story.

Newport Beach Fire Station 2 had a busy morning Wednesday, battling two structure fires within just a few hours of each other.

The first call came in at 5:06 a.m. from a duplex in the 3500 block of Seashore Drive.

Flames broke out on the bottom floor next to the home’s television set, where a motorized skateboard was being charged in a wall, authorities said.

The fire charred the living room area around the TV, causing the ceiling to bubble and smoke to spread up to the second floor, Battalion Chief Ron Gamble said.

After escaping the home, one of the residents ran back inside and tried to extinguish the flames with water from a garden hose, Gamble said. The man suffered minor burns to his right arm and smoke inhalation.

A female resident trapped on the second floor escaped through a patio window with the help of her husband and their roommate, authorities said. She also suffered smoke inhalation.

Three engines, two fire trucks and two ambulances were called to the fire. Paramedics treated the victims on the scene, authorities said.

Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire.

Fire investigators estimate the damage at $75,000, Gamble said.

Within minutes of returning from the first fire, Station 2 firefighters had to turn around and head down Balboa Peninsula to a commercial fire at an office building behind the Crab Cooker restaurant, authorities said.

At the scene, plumes of smoke poured out of the structure, but it turned out to be a small fire, Gamble said.

Smoke from the fire, which started in a storage closet, spread via ventilation ducts throughout the building.

Once they found the origin of the flames, firefighters were able to quickly smother it in the closet, Gamble said.

“It did look much bigger than it was,” Gamble said.

Witnesses in the building told fire authorities the blaze happened almost immediately following a power outage that morning. The fire may have been caused by a surge once the power started back up.

Four engines, two trucks and a medical unit responded. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

No one was seriously injured in either of the fires, authorities said.

KELLY STRODL may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at kelly.strodl@latimes.com.