Sebastopol-area man suffers burns in garage fire

A 100-year-old man suffered severe burns Monday afternoon when a chair in his garage caught fire, sending crews with four fire agencies to his Sebastopol-area home.

The resident, who was not identified, suffered what appeared to be third-degree burns to his head, leg and arm in the small fire and was taken by ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to a Redcom fire dispatcher. He was conscious when the ambulance arrived, said Graton Fire Chief Bill Bullard.

The fire in the 8200 block of Mill Station Road north of Sebastopol was reported just before 4:40 p.m. It triggered a garage sprinkler system that largely put out the fire, preventing flames from spreading to the home. Crews with the Graton, Sebastopol and Gold Ridge fire departments, joined by Cal Fire, helped to ensure the flames were out.

The fire is believed to have been an accident, but remains under investigation, Bullard said.