$100,000 Blaze Guts Corona Home

Dense smoke hindered firefighters’ efforts to control a blaze that virtually gutted a three-bedroom house Friday night.

When firefighters broke down the front door of the burning home, in the Cresta Verde section of northeast Corona, they were met by intense heat and a wall of flames, said John Bloom, battalion chief.

The blaze apparently started in the living room, then spread through the attic to other rooms, investigators said. They said the house had apparently been burning for some time before a passing motorist saw smoke and called for help.

“There’s going to be some major structural repairs, and most, if not all, of the contents were destroyed,” said Fire Capt. Randy Hoggard. Total damage to the single-story house and its contents could exceed $100,000, he estimated.

The home’s owners were in Las Vegas for a vacation, according to neighbors.