Fire destroys garage
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11440085?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
Neighbors said, "You could hear the bang from down the street," as they watched the fire that destroyed the garage at 204 Spring St. on Monday afternoon.
Battalion Chief Mike Venezio said the Santa Cruz Fire Department was dispatched at 4:15 p.m., and was on scene in minutes.
The fire was mostly contained to the garage, Venezio said.
"Upon arrival crews encountered a fully engulfed garage spreading into the residence and the fire being pushed by a moderate breeze unto the adjacent residence to the right of the involved structure," he said.
Fire crews dampened the fire in the garage while crews pulled down ceilings in the house to stop fire that hit the attic. Fire in the residence to the right was extinguished and suffered moderate damage to the exterior, he said.
No one was injured in the blaze.
Resident Eric Paris, who along with another man rents the house, said his roommate called him at work in Scotts Valley.
"He said, You've got to get home, the house is burning down,'" Paris said.
He said his roommate was working on cars in the garage when one of them caught fire.
Firefighters have not yet begun the investigation into the cause of the blaze but the scene confirmed Paris' statement: two cars, a 1989 Toyota Supra MGTE and a 1974 BMW 2002 were completely destroyed.
Paris, a manager at Winchester Auto Parts in Scotts Valley, said it was likely that his roommate had been changing a head gasket on one of the cars, referring to the engine part that seals flammable substances like oil and coolant from leaking into the combustion chamber of an engine.
His roommate, Paris said, had to run out of the burning garage after the car exploded in front of him.
Venezio said the fire was an accident, caused when the fuel line on the vehicle broke.
"This enabled the gasoline vapors to reach the water heater and ignite the garage, which included the two vehicles," Venezio said. "The interior of the residence sustained minor damage from smoke and water."
The real concern for the two residents were their pets.
"I don't care about any of the stuff inside," Paris said, "as long as the pets are OK."
Paris said two turtles, several fish and a bearded dragon lived in the house and five chickens lived in a coop in the backyard.
A firefighter later said that all of the pets appeared to have survived.
Paris said the two men rent the house from his roommate's parents,who have owned the residence for 30 or 40 years.
:nono: :aigo:
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11440085?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
Neighbors said, "You could hear the bang from down the street," as they watched the fire that destroyed the garage at 204 Spring St. on Monday afternoon.
Battalion Chief Mike Venezio said the Santa Cruz Fire Department was dispatched at 4:15 p.m., and was on scene in minutes.
The fire was mostly contained to the garage, Venezio said.
"Upon arrival crews encountered a fully engulfed garage spreading into the residence and the fire being pushed by a moderate breeze unto the adjacent residence to the right of the involved structure," he said.
Fire crews dampened the fire in the garage while crews pulled down ceilings in the house to stop fire that hit the attic. Fire in the residence to the right was extinguished and suffered moderate damage to the exterior, he said.
No one was injured in the blaze.
Resident Eric Paris, who along with another man rents the house, said his roommate called him at work in Scotts Valley.
"He said, You've got to get home, the house is burning down,'" Paris said.
He said his roommate was working on cars in the garage when one of them caught fire.
Firefighters have not yet begun the investigation into the cause of the blaze but the scene confirmed Paris' statement: two cars, a 1989 Toyota Supra MGTE and a 1974 BMW 2002 were completely destroyed.
Paris, a manager at Winchester Auto Parts in Scotts Valley, said it was likely that his roommate had been changing a head gasket on one of the cars, referring to the engine part that seals flammable substances like oil and coolant from leaking into the combustion chamber of an engine.
His roommate, Paris said, had to run out of the burning garage after the car exploded in front of him.
Venezio said the fire was an accident, caused when the fuel line on the vehicle broke.
"This enabled the gasoline vapors to reach the water heater and ignite the garage, which included the two vehicles," Venezio said. "The interior of the residence sustained minor damage from smoke and water."
The real concern for the two residents were their pets.
"I don't care about any of the stuff inside," Paris said, "as long as the pets are OK."
Paris said two turtles, several fish and a bearded dragon lived in the house and five chickens lived in a coop in the backyard.
A firefighter later said that all of the pets appeared to have survived.
Paris said the two men rent the house from his roommate's parents,who have owned the residence for 30 or 40 years.
:nono: :aigo:
