No One Injured as Flames Get ‘Head Start’ : Apartment Fire in Irvine Routs Tenants

A blaze that firefighters said had gotten “a head start” and was spewing flames out the windows of an Irvine apartment building by the time they arrived was quickly controlled Monday afternoon. There were no injuries.

When firefighters arrived at the six-apartment building at 2 Flagstone, they thought that occupants, including a quadriplegic, were trapped inside, Orange County Fire Department spokesman Joe Kerr said.

But the residents had already evacuated, Kerr said, and the wheelchair-bound resident was not home at the time of the 4:21 p.m. fire.

The flames destroyed two units of the complex and caused about $104,000 in damage to the structure, Kerr said. The fire was contained in 36 minutes by 40 firefighters, six engines, two trucks and two paramedics, he added.

Because the complex has wood sidings and there was “a slight prevailing wind,” the fire had “a very large potential” to spread to the other units, Kerr said. The fire started in the patio area of Richard Phost’s apartment, Kerr said.

Phost, a quadriplegic, “lost everything” including “sophisticated equipment” he used to get around, Red Cross spokesman Harry Huggins said.

Late Monday night, Red Cross workers were looking for housing for Phost as well as the family of Kyo Sang Lee, Huggins said. Nancy Shaw, whose apartment was also destroyed, was spending the night with friends, he added.