Firefighters rescue elderly man from burning home in Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa crews rescued an elderly man from a burning structure in the city's Junior College Neighborhood Association neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, according to fire officials.
Around 12:20 p.m., firefighters were alerted to a report of a fire at 915 Beaver Street and were advised that a resident may still be inside a burning structure, the Santa Rosa Fire Department said.
Crews arrived at the location and found a small, detached dwelling behind the main house. Light smoke was coming from the vents of the house while the front door was locked. Firefighters had to force their way in to search for occupants, fire officials said,
Firefighters found an elderly male lying down on the floor with smoke and fire coming from the floor's heater unit. They quickly carried him outside for initial treatment and found that he was suffering from smoke inhalation. He was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment, fire officials said.
Crews had to cut a ventilation hole in the roof to remove smoke. Eventually, the fire was extinguished. The damage was limited to the floor area and support members of the second floor, fire officials said.
The blaze originated near the floor heater and is not suspicious in nature, according to firefighters. However, its cause still remains under investigation.
Damage to the house was estimated to be worth $10,000, fire officials said.