Fire Destroys Costa Mesa Duplex
A fire destroyed a duplex Tuesday and threatened neighboring buildings before firefighters were able to quell the flames, authorities said.
The fire at 1668 Tustin Ave. caused about $250,000 in damage, including a car destroyed in the carport and smoke damage to a neighboring building, said Battalion Chief Ken Soltis.
Nine companies of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach firefighters battled the blaze for almost an hour after it broke out at 4:47 p.m. It spread quickly, Soltis said.
Owner Ann Laurent was sent to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach for treatment of smoke inhalation. She told authorities that she had turned on a portable heater minutes before she discovered the fire.
Some passers-by tried to fight the blaze with a garden hose before firefighters arrived, but Soltis said the fire already was too extensive for the hose to have much effect.
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