Computer Sparks Apartment Fire That Displaces 50
A computer malfunction sparked a fire Wednesday night that damaged four apartments and displaced about 50 people, police and firefighters said.
A woman working on her home computer about 8:50 p.m. “all of sudden heard a poof,” Police Sgt. George Yezbick said.
“Next thing she knew there were fire shooting out from the back,” Yezbick said. “She got some water and poured on it, but that didn’t help.”
Firefighters arrived in the 800 block of Paularino Avenue and found the apartment engulfed in fire, which also spread to three other apartments. A dollar estimate of damages was not available Wednesday.
Authorities were forced to evacuate about 50 people from the apartment complex and shut off the gas and electricity during the battle to control the fire, which took about 20 firefighters nearly 30 minutes.
The Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross helped those who couldn’t return to their homes find shelter.
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