La Habra : Fire Destroys House; 2 Families Homeless

An early-morning blaze on Friday destroyed a house, a carport and a converted garage and left two families homeless, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported in the fire in the 300 block of South Cypress Street, although one unidentified man was hospitalized for chest pains not caused by smoke inhalation, said Fire Department spokeswoman Sandy Hastings.

The fire apparently started in the kitchen about 3:30 a.m., Hastings said. It quickly raced from the kitchen to the carport and then to the converted garage at the rear of the property, officials said.

Damage to the two structures was estimated at $79,000. The value of the contents destroyed was estimated at $52,000, including $12,000 to the cars, Hastings said.

It took 14 firefighters from La Habra and Brea about 30 minutes to control the fire, officials said.