Short in Holiday Lights Causes $90,000 Fire

A fire caused by an extension cord being used with Christmas decorations killed four pets and caused an estimated $90,000 damage to a Simi Valley house, the Ventura County Fire Department reported Monday.

The fire occurred about 9:30 p.m. in a two-story house in the 2600 block of Dusan Street, Fire Department spokeswoman Vicki Crabtree said. No one was home at the time, but two dogs and two cats died, she said.

Fire investigators traced the cause of the blaze to a faulty extension cord attached to a string of Christmas lights draped on a mantel in the family room, Crabtree said.