Home Destroyed in Early Morning Blaze
A two-story home on Bromfield Street in Simi Valley was lost to fire early Wednesday, Haccording to the Ventura County Fire Department.
The owners of the home, John and Velvalee Reid, were on vacation in Utah, and no one was hurt in the blaze, which caused about $210,000 in damage.
Neighbor Ron Taylor, an off-duty firefighter, was awakened by his dogs barking about 4:40 a.m., smelled smoke and called 911.
Minutes later, Ventura County firefighters arrived and knocked down the two-alarm fire by 5:40 a.m., said Sandi Wells, public information officer. A pet rabbit in a cage was saved, she added.
Investigators from the fire and police departments and an accelerant-sniffing dog will try to determine what caused the fire, Wells said.
Although arson has not been ruled out as a potential cause, the fire could also have been started by faulty electrical wires, Wells said.
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