Blaze Ruins Irvine Home Before Owners Move In

A devastating blaze that gutted a new Irvine residence just days before the homeowners were to move in may have been caused by combustible materials placed too close to a heat source, fire officials said Tuesday.

Len and Alana Dauphinee, who are expecting their first child in December, were abruptly greeted Tuesday morning by the sight of their belongings strewn in the driveway of their $500,000, custom-built Oak Creek home. Their pet--a Great Dane named Bailey--perished in the early-morning blaze, and many of their belongings were destroyed.

“My first thought was my dog,” Len Dauphinee said Tuesday afternoon after surveying the damage. “I feel a sense of loss.”

A charred motorcycle that was too new to even have license plates, blackened furniture and melted compact discs were only a few of the damaged belongings that had been stored in the garage of their new home. Their dog had also been staying in the garage because the 4-year-old pet was not allowed in the nearby hotel where the couple were living pending the move.

Firefighters are investigating the fire but they suspect that the source of the blaze will be traced to combustible materials in the garage.

Battalion Chief Scott Brown of the Orange County Fire Authority said the incident underscores the need to keep flammable materials away from heat sources.

“That can be very dangerous,” Brown said.

In all, the fire caused about $180,000 in damages.

The Dauphinees are Canadian transplants who moved to California last year and had been renting a house in Laguna Beach.

“We’re still in shock,” Alana Dauphinee said. “We’re really stunned. We were so close to moving in. It’s so ironic. This is everything, a total loss.”

A 34-year-old engineer for Broadcom Corp., Len Dauphinee said he and his wife would try to focus on the future, including rebuilding their new home and looking forward to the new addition to their family.

“It’s kind of a drag to lose everything in the garage. You can’t replace everything but at least you have your memories,” he said.

Firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority originally responded to a call from employees at Irvine Medical Center reporting a strong smell of smoke about 2:33 a.m., Brown said.

“One of our engine companies began checking the general area and found a working fire in an adjacent housing tract under construction,” Brown said. The fire was prevented from spreading to other homes on Japonica Street and was put out in less than an hour.