Chimney Fire Displaces 90-Year-Old Bret Ave. Resident

By Bay City News Service

An early morning structure fire has displaced a 90-year-old San Rafael resident, according to fire officials.

Police and firefighters responded to a report from a neighbor who saw fire coming from the roof of the house at 17 Bret Ave. at about 1:00 a.m. this morning.

San Rafael police arrived at the scene first to a well-involved fire in the attic and roof of the single family home.

The 90-year-old resident of the home had already evacuated the house unharmed prior to the arrival of firefighters.

Firefighters suppressed the fire, limiting damage to the chimney, the attic area and a large storage room.

The fire was quickly knocked down. Firefighters ventilated the home and removed burned materials and charred insulation from inside the home, according to fire officials.

Despite the wind and rain, firefighters patched burnt holes on the roof to prevent further water damage to the home.

Upon investigation, fire officials found the home's smoke detector was non-functioning due to dead batteries. The fire remains under investigation and may have been resulted from the use of an old chimney and combustible materials.

Although the Red Cross responded to assist, neighbor housed the elderly resident in their home, according to fire officials.

The damage to the structure is estimated at about $125,000 and content damage is estimated at about $50,000, fire officials said.

Residents are urged to take care when using fireplaces and are reminded to have chimneys inspected regularly. Fire officials urge residents to test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their home.

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