Santa Rosa family dog wakens residents as garage burns

A family dog woke up residents of an east Santa Rosa home that caught fire early Wednesday, allowing them to get out safely, a fire official said.

Firefighters were called to the Sonoma Avenue home in Montgomery Village about 3:30 a.m., Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque said. They arrived within five minutes and found a garage burning and flames threatening the attic and home.

Flames were under control in about 25 minutes, but the fire destroyed much of the garage and contents, Basque said. Firefighters stopped the flames from getting into the home and attic, although smoke damaged contents in the house. The fire caused about $150,000 in damage.

Basque credited the Bell family dog, which appeared to be a Labrador, with waking a resident, who discovered the fire and got the family of four and dog out. The Red Cross was helping the family.

An investigation is underway but the fire appears to have been caused by an electrical problem in the garage, Basque said.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.