A house on Creek Road south of Ojai was gutted by fire on New Year's Eve, authorities said Friday.
The cause of the fire was still being investigated. It was sparked by a Christmas tree that caught fire, Ventura County fire officials said.
No one was injured in the blaze, which was called in to the Fire Department at about 4 p.m. after 17-year-old Eileen Friedlander found the family room in flames.
"I had just taken a bath and heard a weird noise, so I went to the door and saw smoke coming through the top of the door," said Eileen, who lives in the house with her parents and 13-year-old brother. "I opened the door and the family room was completely engulfed in flames."
