Arson Fire in Pasadena Causes $450K in Damage

By City News Service

A house about a mile north of the Tournament of Roses parade route sustained an estimated $450,000 in damage from an arson fire, authorities said Wednesday.

The blaze was inside a home with pack rat conditions in the 800 block of North Oakland Avenue, said Pasadena Fire Department Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian. It was reported at 10 p.m. Tuesday and was knocked down by 33 firefighters within about 20 minutes.

However, firefighters remained at the scene for nearly four hours because of the damage done to the inside of the home, Derderian said.

When units arrived, she said, firefighters initiated their "fire attack, primary search, ventilation and secondary search."

"The structural integrity of the roof and building made it unsafe for interior fire attack," Derderian continued. "So all companies evacuated the structure and attacked from the exterior."

She said the cause of the fire was determined to be arson and that an investigation was ongoing.

The pack rat conditions contributed to the damage done to the home during the fire, Derderian said.

Fire investigators estimated there was $300,000 in damages to the structure and $150,000 to the contents of the house, she said.