Fire in an apartment building at 91 Santa Barbara Rd. early Tuesday gutted one dwelling and was elevated to two-alarms before it was finally extinguished a little after 4 a.m.
Fire investigators are on the scene looking for a cause and no immediate damage assessment has been made. The Red Cross has been notified to help with finding shelter for the occupants, who made it out of the residence shortly after the fire was reported at 3:30 a.m.
No injuries were reported, a fact firefighters attributed to the presence of a working smoke alarm which alerted the family inside the apartment and gave them time to evacuate safely.
The fire started in a debris box used by workers checking the building’s balconies for rot. It quickly spread into the apartment above.
Investigators have said the fire was accidental. A damage estimate was not immediately provided.
