Woman Cited Over Trash Is Hurt in Fire

A 55-year-old woman described by fire officials as a pack rat, who was on probation for illegally storing trash in her front yard, was critically injured in a house fire early Tuesday.

Marlene Dallugge suffered second- and third-degree burns over 60% of her body in the fire, which engulfed her single-story home at 7455 Glade Ave. about 1:25 a.m.

Dallugge was burned as she battled the blaze from her trash-strewn front yard using a garden hose, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

Firefighters put out the blaze in about 20 minutes.

Dallugge was taken to West Hills Hospital and later transferred to the burn center at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, where she remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.

The fire caused about $90,000 in damage, said Humphrey, who described Dallugge’s house and property as crammed with junk. He said the fire may have been started by a spark shooting out of Dallugge’s lit fireplace.

“With all the combustible material that was in that room, all you need is a little spark and you’ve got an inferno,” Humphrey said.

A look inside Dallugge’s gutted living room after the fire confirmed Humphrey’s assessment. The living room was packed with boxes, tables and furniture. The floor was covered almost entirely by nearly six inches of old newspapers. Everything was charred black by the fire.

More odds and ends--ranging from lawn chairs and rusty exercise equipment to garbage cans and garden statues--were found all over the yard.

Dallugge’s property has been a source of consternation for neighbors since she moved in about two years ago, according to Joe Steinberg, who lives next door.

“Her house was a garbage dump. It was a disgusting sight,” Steinberg said. “She collected crap from all over the place and left it all over the yard. There would be cars she got from God knows where and they’d be parked on the street. Their engines would get left on the street too, but the city parking people wouldn’t do anything. . . . They were scared of her.”

Steinberg wasn’t the only neighbor who had expressed concern to the city. In January 1998, two neighbors said, 48 residents sent a petition to Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick asking her to do something about the property.

Although representatives from Chick’s office say they never received the petition, they said they were aware of the house and had notified the city’s Department of Building and Safety about it.

David Keim, spokesman and chief inspector for the department, said charges were filed against Dallugge following anonymous tips received in early 1998.

Last summer, Dallugge pleaded guilty in Van Nuys Municipal Court to unlawfully keeping debris in her front yard. She was placed on one year’s probation and fined $100.

Dallugge failed to keep her yard free of debris, however, and in September was again found guilty of similar charges. Her parole was extended to May 2000, but she was not fined, according to Municipal Court spokeswoman Marcia Skolnik.

Keim said his inspectors did not check inside Dallugge’s home because the public complaints only concerned her yard. He said inspectors did not believe that they had reasonable cause to go inside to look for safety hazards.