A devastating fire destroyed a Mayflower Avenue home Sunday morning and "hoarding conditions" inside the house appear to have contributed to the fire's intensity, a fire official said.
Firefighters responded to the call in the 300 block of North Mayflower at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Monrovia Fire Chief Christopher Donovan said.
"The residents tried to self-extinguish and were forced out of the house," Donovan said. "They then grabbed a garden house and attempted to put out the fire with a garden hose."
Donovan said the delay caused by the residents waiting to call 9-1-1 allowed the fire to spread more quickly than it would have if authorities were called immediately.
"Hoarding conditions" present inside the home "intensified the fire" and made the fire more difficult to extinguish, Donovan said.
The home is a complete loss and damage is estimated at about $300,000 for the home and property inside.
The cause of the fire was a heating pad on a blanket in the bedroom that overheated, Donovan said. No injuries were reported but the two occupants of the house have now been displaced, he said.
