Santa Rosa garage fire blamed on overloaded extension cords

<p>Overloaded extension cords running from a garage to a makeshift fish pond at a Santa Rosa home apparently sparked a fire early Monday.</p><p>Santa Rosa firefighters were called to a home on Clark Street at 12:01 a.m. after residents found flames in their yard, reported Battalion Chief Mike Jones. </p><p>Residents had been using power from the garage via the cords to a large-sized kiddie pool. The power was circulating water in the pool, which had been turned into a backyard fish pond, Jones said.</p><p>An apparent overload from a cord spread to a nearby backyard fence, and then spread to the garage.</p><p>One woman resident used a garden hose to put out the fence fire and firefighters put out the garage fire.</p><p>They found flames in the detached garage-workshop on two walls and part of the roof and attic, Jones said.</p><p>Firefighters had arrived within four minutes of the call. They had the fire under control 10 minutes later.</p><p>The older-model garage required extensive effort to make sure the fire was all the way out, Jones said.</p><p>The fire caused about $20,000 damage, Jones said. The fish reportedly weren't injured.</p><p>Fifteen firefighters responded. </p><p>Clark Street is off of E Street, southeast of downtown Santa Rosa.</p>