Crime & Safety

Official: Space Heater Sparked House Fire

The blaze on Effie Street was reported Saturday evening.

Four people were displaced by a house fire in Echo Park house fire caused when a space heater fell on combustible materials, a fire department official said Sunday.

The fire in the one-story home at 1765 Effie St. in Echo Park was reported at 7:22 p.m. Saturday and knocked down in 23 minutes, the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey said.

Four people live in the house, but only two women were home when the fire occurred and they escaped without injury, Humphrey said.

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One of the women saw the space heater fall. "She saw it strike combustibles and instantly erupt into flames," he said.  A total of 44 firefighters responded to the blaze.

Damage was estimated at $175,000, including $125,000 to the structure and $50,000 to contents, Humphrey said. The four displaced residents were seeking their own accommodations.

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A space heater fire Friday at a Northridge home caused $250,000 in damage.

"Use extreme caution with space heaters," he said.  Keep combustibles at least three feet away from them and unplug space heaters when not in use, fire officials advise.

—City News Service contributed to this report.


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