7 Homeless After Arson Reaches House

Seven people were left homeless Monday when a fire caused by arson in a neighboring tire shop spread to their house and gutted it, fire officials said.

Two families, including three adults and four children, were living in the house in the 700 block of North Minter Street. A single mother and her two children rented a room in the one-story home, Tara Eaton, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, said.

The Red Cross moved the families to a Santa Ana motel.

The fire started in a tire shop at 601 E. Santa Ana Blvd., according to Battalion Chief Tom Skelly of the Santa Ana Fire Department. It then quickly spread to the house on Minter Street.

Investigators determined that the cause of the 4:45 a.m. fire was arson, Skelly said, adding that “we’re not certain as to how it was done.”

The tire shop sustained $65,000 in damage while the house suffered $100,000 in damage, the battalion chief said.

A firefighter suffered minor knee injury battling the fire.

An investigation is continuing.