Fire gives Santa Rosa residents early wake up

Fire damaged a south Santa Rosa home early Tuesday, displacing three residents, a Rincon Valley fire official said.

A smoke detector awakened three men at the rental home on the corner of Santa Rosa and East Robles avenues at 6:15 a.m. They found flames in the back of the house near the kitchen and called for help.

Rincon Valley firefighters from the nearby Todd Road station arrived first, finding thick smoke and flames coming from the attic of the 800-square-foot home.

Rincon Valley, aided by Santa Rosa firefighters, knocked down the fire in about 15 minutes.

Fire mainly damaged the attic, and water and smoke damage occurred in the rest of the home, Rincon Valley fire Capt. Fred Leuenberger said. He estimated damage at $50,000 for the structure and $10,000 for contents.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, but it started directly above the water heater near the vent pipe, Leuenberger said.

-Randi Rossmann