Family flees Irvine townhouse fire; firefighter suffers heat exhaustion

A family of three fled their home when a fire broke out in a wall of their Irvine townhouse Thursday night.

Firefighters responded about 7 p.m. to the 150 block of Duranzo Aisle, where flames had started inside a shared wall between two townhouses, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz said.

The flames burned into the attic, but 27 firefighters quickly stopped the blaze from spreading further, according to the Fire Authority. The crew had the fire under control within 25 minutes, Kurtz said.

One firefighter was overcome by heat exhaustion and was taken to an Irvine hospital as a precaution, according to the Fire Authority.

Three people who were at the home – a 35-year-old man, 38-year-old woman and 2-year-old boy – escaped unharmed, Kurtz said.

Smoke and water damage at the home displaced the residents for at least the night, Kurtz said. Authorities did not immediately have a dollar estimate of the damage.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the blaze.