Fire damages the ‘Castle House’ in Huntington Beach

A fire has severely damaged one of the more recognizable houses in Surf City.

Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at the structure in southeast Huntington Beach known as the “Castle House” on Thursday night. The house is known for its unique medieval-style architecture, including gargoyles and a lion statue in the frontyard.

Huntington Beach Fire Department spokesman Eric Blaska said firefighters got to the house on Bermuda Drive at 5:58 p.m. Thursday and knocked down the fire in 13 minutes. The blaze appeared to have started in the attic, Blaska said, and the house was significantly damaged inside.

“The way that building was laid out and the configuration of it, it was super-challenging,” Blaska said. “To be honest, it was pretty amazing that they could get the majority of it knocked down in 12 or 13 minutes.”

The two-alarm blaze also drew help from the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach fire departments.

Fire officials had yet to determine the cause of the fire, Blaska said Friday afternoon. He said one person was sent to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The house is owned by Dominic Menaldi, who said in a Facebook post late Thursday night that the outside of the house acted like a fireplace, and the inside is destroyed.

Menaldi, who has typically decorated the home as a free haunted house on Halloween for the community, said in the post that the structure was currently uninsured. He added that he had lost 90% of his business in security during the coronavirus pandemic.

Neighbors assist owner Dominic Menaldi with a garden hose as the fire burned on Thursday night.

(Al Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Menaldi’s sister, Marguarite Menaldi, and neighbor Nancy Buchoz set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses.

Buchoz said she went to check on Menaldi on Friday morning and found him weeping on the sidewalk, staring at his house.

“He’s a very unique neighbor, in that he just does a lot for the community and expects nothing in return,” Buchoz said.

“He loves his house, and he spent the last 11 years making it exactly [the way he wants] ... He doesn’t have a place to live right now and doesn’t really have a lot of money. We’re really hoping the community will come through for him and give back, like he’s given so generously through the years.”

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