One Injured in Laguna Niguel House Fire

A painter in his 30s was hospitalized with burn injuries and a firefighter required treatment for heat exhaustion due to a two-alarm blaze at a Laguna Niguel house this afternoon.

Firefighters were alerted at 4:44 p.m. and were on scene at 22 Red Rock Lane six minutes later, Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Kris Concepcion said.

“The initial arriving engine crew reported seeing black smoke from the second story of a single family residence,” said Concepcion. “They initially went into the house to fight the fire, but, because of the intensity of the fire, they had to back out.”

Firefighters later called a second alarm and were still attacking the blaze as of 6 p.m. About 20 minutes later the fire was declared contained, but firefighters would likely be on scene for several more hours putting out hot spots, Concepcion said.

A cause and damage estimate were not expected until Friday, Concepcion said.

The man in his 30s who was burned was part of a painting crew working on the inside of the two-story house, Concepcion said. The man's injuries were not life threatening and he was being treated at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Concepcion said.

The firefighter's injuries were minor, Concepcion said.

- City News Service