Fire Damages 4 Homes at Estimated $250,000
A two-alarm fire started by a malfunctioning vacuum unit tore through a four-unit residential complex Friday, causing no major injuries but leaving an estimated $250,000 in damage, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to the blaze in the 100 block of Marseille at 12:24 p.m. after a fire in a garage spread to the attic of the complex, said Capt. Scott Brown of the Orange County Fire Authority.
The reinforced fire door between the garage and the homes had been left open, he said.
The fire started in a central unit to which individual vacuum cleaners can be attached, according to officials.
Though the blaze was extinguished within 10 minutes, firefighters remained on the scene until 6:30 p.m., officials said.
“It’s a common attic that all the units share, and it’s structurally very difficult to maneuver,” Fire Authority spokesman Garry Layman said. “That’s what took so long.”
The units, valued at about $700,000 each, all sustained heavy smoke damage.
One man who escaped the fire complained of chest pains. He was examined at the scene and elected not to seek further treatment at a hospital.
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