Cause of SRJC neighborhood house fire unknown

The cause of a fire Tuesday that badly damaged a huge, old Victorian house in the Santa Rosa Junior College neighborhood remained under investigation Wednesday.

The afternoon fire left about $100,000 in fire, smoke and water damage to a back section of the 4,000-square-foot residence and about $20,000 in damage to contents, said Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Mike Jones.

The fire apparently started in an upstairs kitchen or living area of the Slater Street home, which had been split into two apartments, said Jones.

As well as flames in the living space, arriving firefighters found water damage from a broken water pipe, which apparently burst when the fire began, he said.