Garage fire heavily damages Downey home

DOWNEY – A north Downey home suffered heavy damage after a car battery charger overheated and caught fire last week, authorities said. Firefighters responded to the home at 8426 Dacosta St. at about 8:43 p.m. on Feb. 12 and reported seeing heavy smoke and fire from the garage and extending into the house. As firefighters cut a hole in the roof for ventilation, the fire spread west through a vertical void space, igniting the attic.

Firefighters from L.A. County and Santa Fe Springs also responded to the blaze to offer assistance. As firefighters battled the fire, crews also conducted salvage operations, rescuing some of the residents’ personal belongings.

Investigators believe the fire was started by a car battery charger that had been plugged in with an extension cord and placed inside a vehicle’s engine compartment. The battery charger overheated and ignited, and the fire spread to the vehicle and the rest of the garage.

The home suffered severe fire damage inside the garage and moderate smoke and fire damage throughout the attic, most of the second floor and portions of the first floor. No injuries were reported.

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Published: Feb. 19, 2015 - Volume 13 - Issue 45