Space heater sparks Oakmont house fire

A space heater left on after bedtime likely caused a $400,000 fire early Monday at an Oakmont home, according to a Santa Rosa fire official.

The fire on Meadow Ridge Drive burned the garage, two vehicles and half the kitchen, Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

Firefighters were called at 12:40 a.m. to the residence on the west end of Oakmont, in east Santa Rosa.

A couple who’d been asleep was alerted by a smoke detector and escaped before firefighters arrived. Resident Donna Boaz, 76, was treated for smoke inhalation and taken by Sonoma Life Support ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for further evaluation.

Dennis Boaz told firefighters he’d been using a space heater in his garage office late Sunday night and believed he’d left it on when he went to bed, Basque said.

Firefighters had the blaze under control in about 30 minutes and kept it from spreading throughout the house, but smoke and heat damage caused further damage, Basque said. Kenwood firefighters helped Santa Rosa on the call, bringing 21 firefighters to the home with five engines and one ladder truck.

-Randi Rossmann