Early Sunday morning, a house fire in Mission Viejo claimed the life of one individual and severely damaged a two-story residence. According to CBS News Los Angeles, the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the blaze on Athena Street at 2:32 a.m., where firefighters found the home engulfed in flames.
The fire reportedly began on the first floor before spreading to the second, leading to a rapid deterioration of the structure. Despite the efforts of the individuals inside, all family members except for one were reported to have made it out of the house, as per the KTLA coverage. The identity of the deceased has not been publicly disclosed.
Firefighting teams initially attempted an interior attack but, battling extreme conditions, had to be pulled out and switch to a defensive strategy. “Because of the extreme conditions inside, firefighters were pulled out of the house and went into a defensive strategy – attack from the outside,” the OCFA stated in a post cited by OCFireAuthority X Post…