Studio apartment fire causes $60,000 damage

A fire in a studio apartment on South Coast Highway caused an estimated $60,000 in damage March 18, but no one was injured, Laguna Beach Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse said.

The Laguna Beach Fire Department received a call at 10:23 p.m. from a woman who was met with a plume of smoke when she opened the front door upon arriving home from work, LaTendresse said. No one was inside the apartment, which is in the 1800 block, at the time.

Laguna Beach dispatched four engines and received help from the Orange County Fire Authority and the Newport Beach Fire Department. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 10 minutes, LaTendresse said.

He estimated structural damage at $50,000 and loss of items inside the apartment at $10,000.

As of noon March 20, officials had not determined the fire’s cause.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce