Pacoima fire rips through home, displaces 21 people

PACOIMA, Calif. (KABC) -- Twenty-one people, including 12 children, were displaced after a fire swept through their Pacoima home on Saturday. The family dog Charles also survived.

The flames were reported at 5:03 a.m. in the 13000 block of Kelowna Street. About 44 firefighters spent 37 minutes to knock down the fire. No functional smoke alarms were found in the single-family home.

Nine adults and 12 children were displaced. All had lived together in the 1,000-square-feet home The fire department took them to a North Hollywood station and provided snacks until the American Red Cross could arrive. The estimated loss totaled about $200,000.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.