APARTMENT FIRE BY CSUN LEAVES 50 HOMELESS.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE - Dozens of tenants were left homeless early Tuesday when fire destroyed seven apartments near CSUN, just days after firefighters tested a portion of the alarm system in the 125-unit building.

Damage was estimated at $1 million in the midnight blaze at the Lassen Village apartments, 17730 Lassen St., which started in a nearby trash bin, officials said. About 200 people were safely evacuated, although 50 were left homeless.

No one was injured in the blaze, although a sprinkler system in the three-story complex failed to go off, officials said.

``A fire of that magnitude, with that amount of people, at that time in the morning - it's incredible no one perished or that no was seriously injured,'' said Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Franco.

It took about 200 firefighters more than two hours to evacuate the building, set up hose lines on the roof, and douse the fire.

``The roof crashed in,'' Battalion Chief Tom Brennan said. ``When it crashed in, it took the seven apartments beneath it. It was an enormous job trying to get the people out, and getting the hose lines up there.''

Frantic residents were awakened by neighbors screaming and knocking on doors.

``I'm very lucky,'' said Gamal Ghobrial, an insurance broker who lives at the complex with his 10-year-old son. ``We're all lucky. This could have easily led to 10 people dead. There was no alarm. No nothing.''

Fire investigators were trying to determine whether there was negligence in the upkeep of the fire-warning systems at the complex.

``If there is any negligence in this case, then someone has to be held accountable for it,'' Franco said. ``We believe these systems are essential and they are very important in saving lives, especially in the middle of the night, as was the case in this particular fire.''

Lassen Associates, the owner of the complex, refused comment.

Emergency crews had been called to the complex Friday by an alarm that turned out to be false, Brennan said. At that time, inspectors tested the fire alert system - the system in which a lever is pulled after breaking a glass panel - and it worked, Brennan said.

Inspectors did not check the complex's smoke alarms and sprinkler system, Brennan said.

Apartment buildings in Los Angeles are inspected annually, but it was unclear when firefighters last inspected Lassen Village, officials said.

The Red Cross said 72 of the units were affected by the fire - damaged by water and smoke and doors being ripped off so firefighters could gain entry. The agency put up six families in nearby motels.

Paul Mejia, 22, whose third-floor apartment was destroyed, described a chaotic scene, with residents coming out of doors in smoky hallways.

He said he banged on doors to awaken residents as he ran out of the burning building.

``People were crying,'' he said. ``People were holding their pets. The roof over our apartment is gone. All our possessions are gone. Everything we have is gone.''

Lizzette Garcia, 24, a student at California State University, Northridge, said she was awakened when her roommate barged into her bedroom.

``I didn't hear any smoke alarms,'' said Garcia, who also works in the hazard insurance business. ``There was a problem with the smoke alarms last week. There was a false alarm and everybody evacuated the building. But I don't know what happened with that.''

Garcia stayed at her father's home in Simi Valley on Monday night, then returned to her apartment Tuesday to assess the damage and try to recover some of her belongings.

``It could have been worse,'' she said. ``At least it was just my stuff.''

Jason Kandel, [phone]

jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, map

Photo:

(color) LAFD firefighters Carl De Bono, left, and Dennis DeGeeter carry clothes out of an apartment building near CSUN on Tuesday where a fire Monday left 50 homeless.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

Map:

Apartment fire, 7730 Lassen St.