Smoke alarm alerts Santa Rosa couple to garage fire

Santa Rosa fire officials credited a smoke alarm with alerting a Santa Rosa couple to a fire in their garage Monday evening, allowing the pair to evacuate safely and prevent flames from spreading to their home.|
MARY CALLAHAN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
November 5, 2018

Santa Rosa fire officials credited a smoke alarm with alerting a Santa Rosa couple to a fire in their garage Monday evening, allowing the pair to evacuate safely and prevent flames from spreading to their home.

The alarm sounded just before 6 p.m. on Ironwood Court, a short cul-de-sac off Beechwood Drive near Barham Avenue in the south-central part of town, around the same time the couple noticed lapses in their electrical service, Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

Firefighters found a fire in the garage that either had disrupted some of the wiring or been caused by it, he said. Crews quickly doused the flames, preventing them from reaching the attic, though there was some damage in the roof of the garage, Basque said.

There was also light smoke damage in the single-story house, but not enough to displace the couple, he said. Basque estimated the damage at about $60,000. No vehicles were in the garage when the fire started, he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.

Mary Callahan

Environment and Climate Change, The Press Democrat

I am in awe of the breathtaking nature here in Sonoma County and am so grateful to live in this spectacular region we call home. I am amazed, too, by the expertise in our community and by the commitment to protecting the land, its waterways, its wildlife and its residents. My goal is to improve understanding of the issues, to find hope and to help all of us navigate the future of our environment. 

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