Firefighters are still investigating what sparked a one-alarm Menlo Park blaze over the weekend that damaged a house to the tune of $400,000 and displaced the homeowner and her dog, a fire official said Monday.
A man walking near a Sharon Heights ranch-style house on the 900 block of Continental Drive at about 4:35 p.m. Saturday noticed flames coming out of a roof vent and alerted the homeowner, Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman said. The homeowner, who was sitting in front of her fireplace with her dog, wasn’t aware of the blaze, he added.
The two then called 911 and tried to fight the attic fire with a ladder and garden hose until about 17 firefighters arrived a few minutes later.
“The good news was she was able to get out with her animal,” Schapelhouman said, noting that his staff was forced to take down ceilings and drill holes in the roof to put out the flames.
Firefighters had tamed the blaze by about 5:05 p.m. but remained at the scene for several hours to deal with the aftermath, Schapelhouman said. He estimated the home sustained $350,000 in structural damage and that $50,000 in possessions were destroyed. One firefighter “rolled” his ankle and suffered some sort of sprain.
By Jessica Bernstein-Wax/mercurynews
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