A raging house fire killed one person and destroyed a two-story home, devastating a Mission Viejo family early Sunday morning, officials say.
The Orange County Fire Authority dispatched crews at 2:32 a.m. for reports of a house fire on Athena Street.
Firefighters arrived to find what was described as a well-involved fire that had already spread from the first to the second floor of the home. OCFA said the blaze “rapidly deteriorated” the house.
“Family members made it out without injuries, but tragically one did not,” OCFA said in an X post. Authorities did not immediately share how many family members were able to evacuate, and the identity of the victim was not released as of 10 a.m.
Details are limited, but officials indicated the deadly flames put up a violent battle for the crews.
“Because of the extreme conditions inside, firefighters were pulled out of the house and went into a defensive strategy – attack from the outside,” stated OCFA.
Footage from the scene shows fully equipped crews working all around the blaze, which engulfed both stories and at least two cars parked in the driveway.
The fire was knocked down, and the cause is under investigation.
Luis Zuniga and Alexis Lewis contributed to this report.
The post Family member killed, firefighters pulled out of Mission Viejo house fire appeared first on KTLA.
