Fire burns classic car in Santa Rosa

Fire ignited in the engine compartment of a classic car Monday in Santa Rosa, damaging the vehicle and part of the garage it was parked in, fire officials said.

The owner of the 1958 Pontiac Star Chief Safari was working on the car in his garage when some sort of mechanical failure sparked the fire at about 1 p.m., Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

The engine had been running rough, so the owner parked the station wagon in the garage of his Velma Avenue home off Guerneville Avenue to tinker with it, Basque said.

The man noticed fire in the engine compartment and called 911.

He used a fire extinguisher to fight the flames until fire crews arrived, Basque said.

“We basically just finished up,” he said.

The fire caused smoke damage to the garage but did not damage the house, Basque said.

- Julie Johnson