House Fire Leaves 8 People Homeless
A faulty gas line was suspected of sparking a fire that gutted a small three-bedroom home near Ventura where eight people live, including three young children, authorities said Monday.
The blaze started about 9 p.m. Sunday in the 5000 block of Primrose Drive, an unincorporated area off Ventura Avenue. Damage was estimated at more than $120,000, said Joe Luna, a Ventura County Fire Department spokesman.
Seven residents were home when they heard an explosion in the kitchen and fled, Luna said. The cause was under investigation, but Luna said authorities suspect a gas line near the stove malfunctioned.
The fire was doused in less than half an hour by 30 city and county firefighters. The American Red Cross assisted the family with a motel room for a few days, Luna said.
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