Costa Mesa fire causes evacuation of 3 homes

Firefighters mounted an “aggressive offensive attack” against a blaze at a Costa Mesa townhouse Friday that caused that unit and two adjacent homes to be evacuated, the fire department said.

The fire, in the 600 block of 18th Street, was extinguished by a team of about 40 firefighters, according to Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue.

The fire caused extensive damage to the unit where it started and smoke damage to adjacent homes. One person was assessed for smoke inhalation and released, the fire department said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.