Fire that displaced Santa Rosa family caused by improper ash disposal, authorities say

A Santa Rosa house fire that displaced a family of five and their dog last week was caused by improper disposal of ashes from a Thanksgiving Day fire, according to authorities.

The Nov. 27 fire spread from ashes set into a green compost cart to a house on the 2600 block of Wild Bill Circle, said Santa Rosa fire inspector Jessee Gerhardt.

The family had a fire in a fire pit Nov. 24, let the ashes set overnight and put them in the green cart the next day, assuming the ashes were cold.

About 4 a.m. Nov. 27, less than two days after the ash disposal, flames began in the green cart and spread to the fence and the house, Gerhardt said.

The fire was in the attic by the time the Santa Rosa Fire Department and the Sonoma County Fire District arrived on scene.

The family and dog had already escaped the house, according to a Santa Rosa Fire Facebook post.

Firefighters contained the flames in about 15 minutes and spent about an hour extinguishing hot spots and checking for hidden fires. The blaze caused about $75,000 of smoke damage to the second floor and attic and temporarily forced the family out, said Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Jason Jenkins.

There were no injuries.

Gerhardt said in order to prevent fires from ash disposal, Sonoma County residents should put them in a metal can or a bucket and “be 100% sure that those ashes have sat long enough to burn out all the way” before throwing them away.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @madi.smals.