Lamp Begins House Fire, Leaves $500,000 Worth of Damage

A piece of cloth draped over a lamp sparked a blaze that caused about $500,000 in damage to a two-story home in Laguna Hills, an Orange County fire captain said today.

The blaze started about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 25500 block of Creek Drive, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

The family of five lives in the home, but no one was there when a lamp operated by a timer was switched on and ignited the piece of cloth draped over it, Concialdi said.

“Never leave anything over a lamp like a blanket or clothing,” he said. “It will get hot enough and eventually cause the material to catch fire.”

The home contained a great deal of clothing and other stored items that provided fuel for the flames, which went undetected for a long period of time, Concialdi said.

An Orange County sheriff’s deputy in the area happened to see the fire and dialed 911, Concialdi said.

—City News Service

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