Fire guts home in Oak Ridge

Firefighters battled an Oak Ridge house fire for five hours Tuesday evening. North County firefighters responded shortly after 8 p.m. to 180 Scots Pine Lane. Fruitland and Millersville firefighters assisted.

The fire originated near an electric heater in an enclosed porch with furniture, said fire deputy Ron Hahs, leading investigators to believe the cause was electrical.

Firefighters remained outside the house because the structure of the second floor was weakened, Hahs said. The fire smoldered for hours due to the aged wooden structure of the home and several boxes of clothing stored on the second floor, he said. While the home was gutted, some household items could be salvaged, Hahs said.

The resident, an 88-year-old woman, noticed the fire from her bedroom window. She escaped safely and went to her daughter's house nearby.