A fire sparked by a malfunctioning light damaged the upper floor of a Riverside home Monday, displacing the residents and their pets.
The non-injury blaze was reported about 2:15 a.m. in the 6200 block of Academy Avenue, near Dolphin Street, according to the Riverside Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Jeff DeLaurie said four engine crews and a truck company, numbering about 20 personnel, encountered flames in a second-floor bedroom and bathroom of the 2,000-square-foot house. The blaze extended into the attic, and crews opened a hole in the roof to ventilate the smoke,he said.
DeLaurie said the three adult occupants and their two cats safely evacuated the property, and the fire was completely knocked down by 5 a.m.
The ignition source was traced to a master bathroom light on the second floor which had short-circuited, according to the battalion chief.
The fire caused roughly $50,000 damage, he said.
American Red Cross volunteers were asked to help the victims find temporary lodgings.