FIRE GUTS HOME WHILE OCCUPANTS AWAY.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A Palmdale family lost its home Wednesday morning to a blaze that caused more than $200,000 in damage and killed a pet hamster.

A neighbor called 911 about 7:30 a.m. to report seeing smoke from the two-story house in the 3100 block of Wellington Drive and firefighters arrived within minutes.

``The home was filed with smoke and the fire in the kitchen had spread to the attic,'' said Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Jerry Mehan.

Firefighters entered the house to look for occupants but after a search found there was no one home. Two cats were located, scared but unhurt, inside the garage but a hamster in the house died of smoke inhalation, officials said.

``It's a good thing those cats got into the garage or they very likely would have suffered the same fate as the hamster,'' Mehan said.

The blaze broke out behind an electrical junction box in the kitchen and burned inside the walls and up into the attic.

It took 22 firefighters from four engine companies and a paramedic squadjust over 20 minutes to knock down the blaze.

Damage was estimated at about $125,000 to the home and $75,000 to its contents.

Members of the family returned home while firefighters were still inside the home battling the blaze. Their names were not released.

``We didn't need to contact the Red Cross because the family said they would be staying with friends,'' Mehan said.

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(color) Smoke pours from a burning house Wednesday morning on Wellington Drive in Palmdale. The family was not home at the time. Two cats were found scared but unhurt inside the garage but a hamster in the house died of smoke inhalation, officials said. The fire caused $200,000 in damage.

Paul Weatherman/Special to the Daily News