Newport Beach : House Fire Believed to Have Started in Wiring
City fire officials said they do not suspect arson in a house fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in an exclusive harbor front neighborhood which has been plagued by a string of suspicious blazes recently.
The fire caused about $25,000 in damage to a home at 1960 Port Ramsgate at about 1 p.m. No one was injured.
It began in the attic near some of the home’s major electrical circuits, according to Rosemary Williams, a Fire Department spokeswoman who said the resident reported that the electricity first went dead in the house and then there were loud crackling and popping sounds.
Moments later, Williams said, neighbors spotted smoke coming out of the house.
“It sounds like it was probably electrical,” Williams said. Arson “is not suspected in this case.”
However, until the cause is established, Williams said, the possibility of arson will be checked by investigators.
Williams said the area has been plagued in the last 10 months by fires deliberately set in houses, cars and trash cans.
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