OXNARD : Fire Destroys House Where 45 Resided
As many as 45 people were left homeless Wednesday when fire swept through a single-family house in south Oxnard that was apparently being shared by a number of families, investigators said.
The fire, ignited by an electrical short in a bedroom about noon, destroyed the house, causing $130,000 in structural damage and another $30,000 in damage to the contents, Oxnard Battalion Chief Murray Glidden said.
After learning about the number of residents in the 1,600-square-foot house, firefighters summoned an inspector from the Oxnard code enforcement office to check for illegal alterations.
Inspector Raymond J. Mattley said he found three or four beds in each of the five bedrooms, but no unauthorized alterations.
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