By Daily Press staff
SANTA MONICA CANYON — More than a dozen fire companies, including those from Santa Monica, and 50 firefighters responded to the scene of a Thursday morning house fire on West Channel Road.
The two-story, single-family dwelling was completely gutted after crews worked for several hours to fully extinguish the blaze.
No injuries were reported, according to Ron Myers, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman. The cause of the fire was under investigation as of Thursday afternoon.
“There was heavy fire when they arrived,” said Myers, who reported that the house’s roof collapsed amid firefighting efforts.“It took about 31 minutes for knockdown.”
“Knockdown,” according to Myers, is a term used by firefighters to describe when a blaze is mostly contained and no longer thought to pose a threat of spreading to other structures.
Though the house — reportedly at 345 West Channel Road — was in close proximity to a number of other homes, none of the bordering properties were believed to have been damaged.
Ten Los Angeles fire companies responded to the call at 9:46 a.m., with companies from Santa Monica playing a supportive role, as the home is situated just outside of the city’s northern limits.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 8, 2006. Read the original PDF.