Fire marshals in Venice have determined the blaze that destroyed a home Monday night was caused by the misuse of an extension cord.
On Mon. March 18, 2019 around 6:30 p.m. firefighters were called to the scene on the 700 block of Cypress Avenue. Flames could be seen shooting out of the roof and there was a reported explosion during the fire.
"I was sleeping and then woke up to the smell of smoke. I got up and thought my wife was burning something in the oven," said Donald J. Costa, the homeowner.
When he realized that wasn’t the case, he went to the garage and the heat was so terrific it blew him backwards. He ran through the house to find his wife, but she was in the front yard calling 911.
“I tried to get back in the house and it was totally engulfed within minutes,” said Costa.
It took 20 minutes to get the fire under control and there were no injuries reported.