Altar candles set Buddhist temple in Garden Grove on fire
A late-night fire engulfed a Garden Grove house that had been converted into a Buddhist temple, resulting in about $450,000 in damage to the property, fire officials said Wednesday.
Firefighters think candles from an altar started the blaze at Yorkshire Avenue and Magnolia Street.
Two adults sleeping inside the house were awakened by a smoke detector and a neighbor, Garden Grove fire Capt. Thanh Nguyen said. They escaped the burning home without injuries.
More than 30 firefighters responded to the burning home and extinguished the blaze shortly after midnight, Nguyen said. The property is considered a complete loss, he said.
“An altar on the porch had a lit candle,” Nguyen said. “Somehow it burned and extended into the house.”
The Fire Department advises temples and other houses of worship with year-round altars to put candles out if they are left unattended.
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