2 Are Injured in Laguna Beach House Fire

A man was injured early Monday while rescuing one of his children through a bedroom window of his Laguna Beach home as fire swept through the residence, causing $500,000 in damage, officials reported.

A firefighter, one of 25 called to the scene, also was injured while battling the fire. The resident and the firefighter were treated at South Coast Medical Center and released.

A neighbor spotted flames shooting from the roof of the 1,200-square-foot, two-story home in the 31900 block of Crestwood Place in South Laguna about 2:45 a.m. and called the fire department.

When firefighters arrived within five minutes, the flames already had gutted the home and were threatening nearby residences, which are valued at about $800,000, fire officials said.

“The homes ... were in immediate danger of catching on fire, and all initial suppression efforts were placed in protecting these three occupied structures,” Laguna Beach Fire Battalion Chief Mark Baker said in a statement. “Firefighters were successful in protecting these three homes.”

It took firefighters from Newport Beach, the Orange County Fire Authority and Laguna Beach fire departments about an hour to control the blaze. The cause is under investigation.

The firefighter suffered a leg injury and the father cut his arm while reaching through the window to rescue the child. Authorities did not identify the resident.