Fire partially destroys west Santa Rosa home

<p>A two-alarm fire in west Santa Rosa started in a garden shed and spread to a home, displacing a family of five, fire officials said Tuesday.</p><p>The midnight fire on Dunaway Drive was fueled by natural gas from a melted meter, as well as containers of fuel kept in the shed, said Mark Pedroia, senior fire inspector for Santa Rosa.</p><p>The family awoke to find flames and called for help at 11:52 p.m. They got out safely, said Santa Rosa Battalion Chief Mark Basque.</p><p>The home now is uninhabitable for residents Jason and Willow Sanders and their three young children. </p><p>The first Santa Rosa firefighters got to the subdivision near Piner High School within six minutes. They found an already extensive blaze burning between two homes and up into the second story of one.</p><p>Fire officials called for the second alarm, bringing additional help to keep the blaze from reaching the second home.</p><p>The effort included six fire engines, two ladder trucks and 28 firefighters from Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley and Sebastopol.</p><p>At one point the fire consumed part of the roof, causing it to collapse as firefighters worked nearby. Because of safety concerns they had to briefly pull back, Basque said.</p><p>Firefighters had the blaze under control in 45 minutes, Basque said. </p><p>The fire caused extensive damage to the home, burning the garage and second-story attic. It also resulted in water damage to living areas on both floors. </p><p>Firefighters stopped the flames from spreading to nearby properties.</p><p>What caused the shed fire remained under investigation Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>The shed had been just a few feet from the natural gas meter. The fire's heat melted the meter, which allowed the gas to escape, Pedroia said. </p><p>The gas fed the flames, pushing them up to the second story attic.</p><p>Also, inside the shed was a five-gallon propane tank, a plastic one-gallon gasoline can, two gallons of paint and assorted garden equipment, Pedroia said.</p>