COSTA MESA : 2 Residents Routed From Burning Home

Fire swept through a single-story house in Costa Mesa early Sunday, ousting two sleeping residents but causing no serious injury.

The blaze was reported at 6:30 a.m. in the 600 block of Joann Street. By the time fire units arrived on the scene, flames were shooting out of the roof and smoke was visible from miles away.

The residents of the house, Sylvia Bar and an unidentified male tenant, escaped unharmed after being awakened by neighbors banging on the doors and windows, Costa Mesa Battalion Chief Judy Jewell said.

Two of the 24 firefighters battling the inferno suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene. One suffered a second-degree burn to a leg and the other suffered minor injuries, Jewell said.

It took about 20 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the blaze. The fire started in the garage and spread through the two-bedroom house into the attic, where firefighters had to pull out ceilings and insulation to snuff out remaining embers, Jewell said.

Firefighters estimated the total damage at $100,000, with $50,000 to the structure and $50,000 to the contents. Cause of the blaze remains under investigation.