SIMI VALLEY : Fire Guts House, Burns Nearby Roofs
A wind-driven fire gutted a two-story Simi Valley house Wednesday afternoon and damaged the roofs of several nearby dwellings, fire officials said.
No injuries were reported, but the blaze did at least $75,000 worth of damage to a house at 3035 N. Arlington Ave., Ventura County Fire Capt. Keith Mashburn said.
Mashburn said the blaze apparently began when embers from the fireplace flew up the chimney and were blown back onto the wood-shingle roof, igniting it. He said the chimney had no spark arrester, a screen designed to keep embers from escaping.
More than 35 firefighters from Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo responded because of concerns that winds of 20 to 30 m.p.h. could have caused the fire to ignite nearby houses with flammable roofs.
“Typically, these things can get away from you quickly because they jump from roof to roof,” Mashburn said.
Simi Valley Councilman Bill Davis, who watched firefighters put out the blaze, said the city no longer allows houses to be built with wood-shingle roofs.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
