Fire Traps Residents, Damages Balboa Peninsula Home

A fire broke out at a Balboa Peninsula duplex on Sunday, trapping two people in a neighboring home, but firefighters safely rescued the residents, a fire official said.

The fire was reported about 9:03 p.m. at a duplex on Clubhouse Avenue. Jennifer Schulz, spokeswoman of the Newport Beach Fire Department, said the power in a section of the home went out minutes before the fire started and the residents saw bubbling on the walls near the fireplace. The residents in the home where the fire started went outside and called 911, but responding fire officials quickly noticed other residents nearby that were unable to escape on their own.

"Additional information was received from the Huntington Beach Police Helicopter that two individuals were trapped in the neighboring upstairs duplex home, due to the flames blocking their primary exit stairway," Schulz said. "Fire units quickly assisted the individuals to safety, while other units attacked the fire from within the home."

Schulz said the fire is under investigation, but appears to have started in the wall near the fireplace, which was on right before the fire started. The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to the home --mostly to its exterior including the fireplace and chimney--and approximately $3,000 to the contents of the home.

Fire Safety Tips:

• Be sure your home has working smoke detectors
• Have a family evacuation plan in place that includes two ways out of every room with an outdoor meeting place