DOWNEY - A Downey couple and their young son escaped unharmed from a house fire on the 8200 block of Luxor Avenue early Saturday morning.The couple woke up just after midnight to find heavy smoke inside the house. They grabbed their young son and fled the house, calling 911 from the front yard. Firefighters found a "well-involved kitchen fire with exposures to adjacent rooms." Firefighters punctured the roof to relieve the heat and smoke while another team of firefighters attacked the flames from the interior. Crews also found fire in the attic. The fire was controlled in about 15 minutes. Firefighters discovered hoarding conditions inside the home and determined it to be hazardous for the child, prompting police to notify child protective services. The house did not have smoke detectors, authorities said. Downey Fire Engines 61, 62 and 64, with Squad 641 and Truck 611, under the command of battalion chief Chuck Seely, responded to the fire.

********** Published: February 16, 2012 - Volume 10 - Issue 44