Fires Destroy 2 Area Residences
Two Ventura County residences were destroyed by fire in separate incidents over the weekend, one of them suspected to be arson, according to authorities.
The Ventura Fire Department responded to a blaze in the 2300 block of Chippewa Lane in Ventura at 1 a.m. Saturday, finding the house fully engulfed in flames. The home was destroyed and condominium units on each side received smoke and water damage.
According to police, several neighbors said they heard yelling and glass breaking just before the fire started and later saw several people run from the residence and flee in a vehicle.
Ventura Fire Department and police arson investigators are reviewing the case, police said. There have been no arrests.
In a separate incident, a single-family residence in the 200 block of West Bard Road in Oxnard was destroyed Saturday night after one of its residents fell asleep while smoking. She was awakened by a smoke alarm, according to the Oxnard Fire Department.
Three women were home at the time, just after 8 p.m. One was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.
The interior of the house was destroyed, with damage estimated at $40,000. Exterior damage was estimated at $100,000.
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