Newlyweds and 15 Others Are Homeless After Blaze
Seventeen people, including a newlywed couple, were left homeless early Saturday when an accidental fire gutted their small apartment building.
The blaze at 318 Avenida Monterey, first reported at 3:45 a.m., was under control in less than 30 minutes, said Orange County Fire Capt. Scott Brown. The fire was caused by a malfunctioning electrical appliance in the building superintendent’s apartment, he said. There was no sign of foul play.
American Red Cross spokeswoman Nona Gibbs said 15 adults and two children, including a newlywed couple from Michigan, were given shelter through Tuesday in South County hotels.
“Normally we don’t provide shelter for friends who are visiting people during fires, but this couple was just married, out here staying with friends while they looked for a place to live, and had nowhere to go,” Gibbs said. “It was Valentine’s Day.”
Brown said the fire underscored the need for smoke detectors in residences. The two apartments where most of an estimated $70,000 in damage occurred had no functioning smoke detectors, he said.
“Sleeping residents woke up to the sounds of smashing glass and people screaming ‘fire, fire,’ ” Brown said. “We’re lucky there were no injuries or fatalities.”
In addition to county firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and a unit of U.S. Marine firefighters from nearby Camp Pendleton responded.
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