Fire during Thanksgiving dinner displaces Irvine family

An Irvine family fled during Thanksgiving dinner Thursday when they discovered a fire on the second story of their home.

The family of four — including children ages 3 and 1 — were eating with two other people around 5:45 p.m. when the flames forced them out, authorities said.

About 35 firefighters arrived at the house, in the 10 block of Halfmoon, and had the blaze controlled a few minutes after 6:30 p.m., authorities said.

“The fire got into the attic space under the roof, so it was very difficult to ventilate and get to the fire,” said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz. The home has a metal roof that was difficult to cut into, he added.

The father of the two young children suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. No one else was injured, according to the Fire Authority.

Authorities estimated that the fire caused about $300,000 in damage to the home and $150,000 to its contents. The home was rendered uninhabitable, displacing the family, Kurtz said.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze, Kurtz said.

The Fire Authority typically sees an uptick in fires in the fall and winter, he said.

“This is the time of year, as the weather gets colder, people start utilizing their heaters in their homes without checking them out, and sometimes problems occur,” Kurtz said.