Cazadero home in woods destroyed by fire

An unoccupied home in the woods near Cazadero burned to the ground Saturday, but recent rains kept it from potentially triggering a wildfire, Timber Cove firefighters said.

The home in the 31900 block of Seaview Road was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived shortly after noon. The blaze was under control in about 30 minutes, Timber Cove Chief Dennis Meredith said.

The house was surrounded by trees, creating “significant wildland exposure,” but damp conditions minimized the threat, Meredith said. A few weeks ago, the situation would have been more serious, he said.

The Timber Cove fire district sent three engines, a water tender and a rescue vehicle along with about a dozen firefighters to the scene, and Cal Fire sent an engine and a helicopter, which landed with a crew that cut a line around the fire, Meredith said.

A pickup truck parked next to the house and carpenter’s tools were saved. The owner was on vacation, Meredith said.

Meredith said the cause of the blaze was impossible to determine due to the destruction of the house, and he could not estimate the amount of the loss because he was unfamiliar with the property.

Timber Cove firefighters remained at the scene for more than four hours to make sure the flames were completely extinguished.

Cazadero and Monte Rio firefighters also responded.