Early morning fire causes estimated $5,000 damage, No injuries reported

COURTESY: ANNICK JOSEPH (KIEM)

EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM)-An accidental fire that started in the water heater utility room of a Eureka home caused an estimated $5,000 worth of damages, according to Humboldt Bay Fire. 

Michael Cady lives next door to the home that caught fire, he tried to help.

“I asked my friend, hey, do they have a fire pit? I didn’t see anybody out there and then her son had come down,” he said.  “And the flames had grown so we had to grab the hose, then we had to get a hold of the fire department but it was contained one area of the house.”

Humboldt Bay Fire was dispatched to a reported structure fire on the 3200 of Q Street at about 1:26 early Sunday morning.

The first crew arrived to moderate smoke coming from the front and back of a single family home.

Once fire personnel entered the home they found the fire coming from both the water heater utility room and laundry room – the fire was controlled within 15-minutes after arrival.

The owner – who self-evacuated with her pet – was later discovered outside.  

Fire officials could not determine if the water heater malfunctioned, had been installed improperly, or if combustibles had been stored too close to the water heater.

No injuries were reported.

Humboldt Bay Fire wants to remind everyone to maintain adequate clearance around heating appliances and electrical service rooms.

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