Three Residents Displaced by 4th St. Fire

Three residents of a 4th Street duplex were displaced after the home caught fire early Tuesday morning.

The white-washed house at 927 4th Street, at the intersection of Idaho, was damaged when the blaze erupted in the front room at 3:26 a.m.

"Firefighters made swift entry through the front door, and found intense heat and smoke in the bedroom," said Santa Monica Fire Capt. Judah Mitchell. "SMFD was able to hold their ground against the flames ... and had the flames knock[ed] down in 15 minutes."

Two of the three residents living there were at home when the fire started, and are being set up by the Red Cross in a local inn.

No one was injured, but the city "did red tag the house—it's not safe to occupy," Mitchell said. "The fire was basically held to the south side of the house, the rest was smoke damage."

The Red Cross said in a statement that it has arranged for housing at a local motor inn for two of the fire victims. Additional support from the Red Cross will include longer term relocation help, counseling and other services if needed, a spokesman said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. 

Firefighters were on scene Wednesday morning to inspect the damage. A blue tarp covered the shingled roof and several windows were boarded up.