Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters knocked down a laundry room fire in Newhall Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters received reports of residential structure fire on the 23500 block of Neargate Drive at approximately 1:35 p.m, according to Rafael Ortiz, an engineer and firefighter specialist on the scene.
“I was one of the first ones off Engine 73. We pulled up on the scene and saw a lot of smoke coming out of the alpha bravo corner of the building,” Ortiz said. “We initially deployed a hose line to the front door of the building.”
The resident of the home, Laurie O’Brien, directed the firefighters, more or less, to the location of the fire inside, he added.
“We quickly deployed our hose and we were able to contain the fire in the laundry room,” Ortiz said.
O’Brien lived in the home for about 20 years, and was astonished to see her laundry room catch fire.
“The dryer caught fire,” O’Brien said. “I didn’t know what was going on. I ran around the house and it was very smoky. I couldn’t find it (the fire) and then I opened the dryer door and all these flames just came out.”
The hallway drywall leading to the laundry room was damaged due to the smoke and fire.
Chrif Devries, a neighbor who lives just around the corner, said she was getting her mom to drive down the street for a dentist appointment when she heard a fire alarm.
“I wasn’t too concerned about it, but then as were pulling out of the driveway, we saw a lot of smoke and then fire trucks started coming up the street,” Devries said. “(Santa Clarita emergency services) did a good job. They responded fast and (extinguished) the fire out.”
Firefighters declared knockdown of the fire at approximately 1:51 p.m. Four engines, a fire truck, a wagon – a water pumper in case of fire spread to nearby brush — and a paramedic unit were on the scene.
There were no injuries, Ortiz said.
