BLAZE DESTROYS LAKE L.A. HOME.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LAKE LOS ANGELES - An electrical fire in a Lake Los Angeles family's home caused more than $230,000 worth of damage and left the family homeless.

The family, whose name was not released, had been plagued by electrical problems, officials said, and Tuesday afternoon, those problems erupted in a blaze.

A strong wind fanned the flames as nearly two dozen firefighters struggled to put them out.

``We had about a 35 mph wind,'' said Capt. John Holt of Los Angeles County Fire Station 114. ``That's what caused the fire to spread through the attic like it it did.''

The blaze broke out about noon while the couple was at work and their two children at school, officials said.

The fire burned through the attic first.

Small explosions from the garage, later found to be from two five-gallon propane bottles, forced firefighters to take defensive action while putting out the fire.

Crews went through the house twice to make sure there was no one inside.

A small fire ignited in a brushy area near the home but that was quickly extinguished.

The blaze took nearly 45 minutes and 23 firefighters to extinguish.

Nearby Vista San Gabriel school did not have to evacuate because of the strong winds blowing in the opposite direction.

Officials said the home, valued at $150,000 and all its contents, estimated at $80,000, were a total loss.