Dog dies in Costa Mesa apartment fire

A family dog was killed in a fire that erupted in a South Coast Paularino Apartments unit Sunday afternoon, Costa Mesa authorities said.

Members of the Costa Mesa Fire Department were called to the 800 block of Paularino Avenue just after 1 p.m. and saw smoke coming from an upstairs apartment, according to a news release.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in about 20 minutes and prevent it from spreading to other units.

The fire was started by a candle placed too close to flammable objects in the bathroom. The five adult residents were alerted to the fire by a smoke detector and were able to exit the apartment without injury.

Damage was estimated at $50,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the apartment’s contents, the release stated.

— Hannah Fry

@HannahFryTCN