Family escapes fire in Newport Isle duplex

When neighbors had to alert a Newport Isle family that their house was on fire Wednesday night, firefighters pointed to that as a reminder to everyone that smoke alarms can save lives.

About 10 p.m., a bedroom in a duplex in the 400 block of 38th Street filled up with smoke and flames, unbeknownst to the people living there, said Paul Matheis, a Newport Beach Fire Department division chief. Not until they heard the commotion of their upstairs neighbors did they become aware they were in danger and safely escape.

“The peak hours for fire deaths are between 10 at night and 6 in the morning. Here’s a situation where the potential was there and a disaster was avoided,” Matheis said.

Fire officials said they were not sure whether the family had a smoke alarm. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire that started in the bedroom and spread to the hallway, causing about $100,000 in damage and displacing the four people living there, said department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz.

— Joseph Serna