By Lucas Nava and Maya Morales
A fire that was believed to have originated with an electrical problem severely damaged a two-story home in Castaic on Wednesday, leaving two residents and a family dog in need of treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters responded to the two-story house fire on North Medford Place in Castaic on Wednesday afternoon, according to the L.A. County Fire Department.
“We were dispatched at approximately 12:47 p.m.,” said Fire Department representative Caitlyn Aldana. “Units arrived on scene at approximately 12:54 p.m.”
Neighbors said both the homeowners and their four pets were evacuated from the second floor of the house. Both residents were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, as was a dog that firefighters rescued from the second floor of the home. They did not need to be transported to the hospital, according to Capt. Cervantes, of the L.A. County Fire Department.
Witnesses at the scene said the fire started downstairs while the residents were upstairs.
The concerned neighbors said they saw a large cloud of smoke coming from the downstairs area and proceeded to call the Fire Department. One neighbor said she attempted to run in and help but was stopped by another neighbor because the smoke had started affecting them.
A repair worker at a house across the street also noticed the large cloud of smoke and quickly ran to the house to shut off the gas line in hopes of containing the fire.
Aldana confirmed that the fire was knocked down at around 1:11 p.m.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation but is suspected to possibly be an electrical fire caused by a plug on the first floor, according to Cervantes. The fire stayed contained within the house.
The residents of the house, Tammy and Vince Contarino, attempted to put out the fire in their living room by throwing blankets and hosing it down with water but had no luck.
Neighbors surrounded the couple after they were treated for smoke inhalation and checked in to make sure they were OK. A couple neighbors offered to help retrieve items from the home and they were also seen handing out water bottles to firefighters as they tried to combat the heat. Tammy Contarino said they were devastated about losing their home but were thankful that both themselves and their pets were safe.
