Couple Escape Fire in Newhall House : Destruction: Faulty electrical wiring is suspected in blaze that caused an estimated $250,000 damage.

A fire apparently started by faulty electrical wiring gutted the three-bedroom home of an elderly Newhall couple Tuesday morning, causing $250,000 damage, fire officials said.

Lewis Noble, 75, suffered smoke inhalation in the fire on the 26000 block of Torrey Pines Drive, but was not seriously injured. He was treated at the scene by paramedics. His wife, Gladys, also 75, who is recovering from a stroke, was not injured, said Battalion Chief Floyd Hoffman of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Although the exact cause of the blaze is still under investigation, it was apparently caused by an electrical short, officials said. Damage to the structure is estimated at $200,000, and possessions worth $50,000 were destroyed.

It took 18 firefighters about 15 minutes to extinguish the fire, Hoffman said. The Nobles were already outside the house when firefighters arrived.

“They were very fortunate to get out of the house, because it looked like a very quick-moving fire,� Fire Capt. Joe Romero said.

Neighbors said they saw flames leap 20 feet into the air and smoke billowing from the windows.

“I stepped outside to have a cigarette and I saw it. I just came around the corner to make sure everyone was out of the house,� said Darlene Walsh, who had flown in from Maryland on Monday and was staying with her father- and mother-in-law, who live nearby.

Walsh comforted the Nobles as they sat across the street watching their house burn.

“They were standing out in front of the house, trying to figure out what was going on,� she said.

Firefighters managed to save the flag that was displayed in the front of the house.

“I was yelling, ‘Get the flag!’ � Walsh said. “I didn’t want the flag to get set on fire.�