Electrical Fire Leaves Family Homeless

A Camarillo family was left homeless Tuesday after a two-alarm fire caused an estimated $60,000 in damage to their house, county fire officials said.

There were no injuries in the blaze, said Sandi Wells, Ventura County Fire Department spokeswoman.

An electrical fault in the garage of the east Camarillo home caused the fire, investigators said.

The residents of the single-story house at 2985 E. Landen St.--Dennis and Penny Ema and their 23-year-old son, Peter Vane--were not home when a neighbor spotted the blaze at 7:41 a.m., Wells said.

“When [firefighters] got there, they saw an extensive amount of smoke and flames coming from the garage and also the back of the house,” Wells said. “We were able to keep the fire in the garage and the kitchen area, so the rest of the living quarters were spared from the fire itself, but there was heavy smoke damage.”

It took firefighters about 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

City officials condemned the garage and are allowing the family to enter the house only to retrieve belongings. The fire also caused an estimated $60,000 in damage to the contents of the home, which is insured, Wells said. The Red Cross was called to assist the family if necessary.