A house fire broke out Friday afternoon in the 16000 block of Sierra Hills Street in Canyon Country, engulfing the home in thick black smoke and sending its residents and even a pet scrambling for safety as firefighters converged to knock down the flames.
According to Saadullah Sheikh, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched at 4:15 p.m. and were on the scene fighting the blaze five minutes later.
At the scene of the residential fire, a handful of nearby residents began to come out of their homes and look at the structure that was quickly engulfed in heavy black smoke.
Brian and Janet Harris were in their home right across the street from the residential fire and immediately dialed 9-1-1 once they saw the smoke, they said.
As they both witnessed the fire, they also saw residents of the home begin to run out, some with their personal belongings.
Susie Williams, another resident just down the street, also witnessed a dog run out of the burning house, which she quickly grabbed to make sure it didn’t run off, she said.
“Smoke and fire were shown from the rear of the building,” said Capt. David Dantic, another spokesman for L.A. County Fire. “Looks like they got knock-down at 5:20 p.m.”
According to L.A. County Fire Department Battalion Chief Mo Khazzal, at least one person was reported to be in the house with the active fire, prompting first responders to elevate it to a high victim profile incident.
A second ambulance and squad were requested, so first responders were prepared with the resources needed once they extricated the resident. Firefighters searched the two-story home for any people trapped and didn’t locate anyone, Khazzal said.
Firefighters then learned the person reported to be in the house was outside and did not sustain any injuries, he added. No other injuries or transports were reported.
The house suffered damage to the backyard, and parts of its interior that caused water, smoke and fire damage, Khazzal said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he added, but it was believed to have started from the backyard.
Just before 6 p.m., Dantic said that units were still on the scene and would be for “a little bit for overhaul.”
