OJAI : House Fire Blamed on Gap in Masonry
Investigators have determined that a masonry gap in a chimney caused a fire that destroyed a family’s home in east Ojai.
The fire at 4508 E. Grand Ave. was caused by drywall erupting after smoldering for a long period, he said.
The 3,600-square-foot residence was already engulfed in flames when more than 30 firefighters responded to the alarm 7:55 p.m. Friday.
The damage is estimated at $600,000 to the structure and $200,000 to the contents.
Owner Andrew Stasse, 36, said he was working in the attic when he discovered the smoke and flames by opening a hatch to the floor below. He escaped through a gable to the roof and was treated for minor smoke inhalation at Ojai Valley Community Hospital.
Stasse’s two sons, ages 10 and 12, and his fiancee, Angela Armstrong, were not home that evening. “I came back to find my fiance in the hospital, the house burned down and everything lost . . . even my wedding dress,” Armstrong said.
“It’s quite common to have a gap” in the chimney that would allow the wall to become overheated, “but it can be checked by asking your local fire station to come out and make sure it’s solid,” said Bill Hager, Ventura County Fire Department investigator.
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