Discarded cigarette sparks Santa Rosa garage fire

The Sunday night blaze displaced a family of four.|
RANDI ROSSMANN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A discarded cigarette appeared to be the cause of a Santa Rosa house fire late Sunday night that destroyed a garage and displaced a family of four, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

Awakened by a smoke detector, three adults and a 3-year-old child escaped their McMinn Avenue home as the attached garage burned, Santa Rosa fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

Firefighters were called at 11:52 p.m. to the Roseland home between Delport and Hughes avenues and found heavy smoke coming from the garage. The fire was under control in about 10 minutes and did not reach the house, which had light smoke damage, Basque said.

Damage was estimated at $50,000.

Investigators said the fire likely started after an ashtray was emptied into a garbage can and lit combustible materials on fire.

-Randi Rossmann

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