The fire was dispatched at 1:20 p.m., with Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Pat Brown first to arrive on the scene 14 minutes later.
He said the home, a single-family dwelling located at 3495 Spring Valley Road, was being rented by its owner Marty Hudson to Robin Nunnemaker and her family. Nunnemaker's daughter, Mattie, drove up to find the home on fire.
Brown said the home was fully involved by the time firefighters got on scene.
When Brown arrived he said an oxygen tank that had been inside the house exploded and flew past him.
In addition to the Nunnemakers' home, the fire threatened another home as well, Brown said.
In addition to Brown, Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Jamie Crabtree also responded, along with 13 other firefighting personnel from Northshore Fire, Lake County Fire Protection District, Cal Fire and South Lake County Fire.
He said Northshore Fire sent three engines, a water tender and a medic, Lake County fire sent an engine and water tender, Cal Fire sent one engine and an Office of Emergency Services engine based at South Lake County Fire responded.
Inside the house at the time of the fire were four dogs, four cats and seven birds, all of which perished, Brown said.
Brown said fire officials are ruling the incident to have been caused by an accidental electrical issue.
The house, which was a total loss, is estimated to have had a value of $100,000, Brown said, with the home's contents additionally valued at $50,000.
Brown said Robin Nunnemaker had a suitcase packed for a trip, which was all she was left with in the wake of the fire. Friends are giving the family a place to stay in the short-term.
The recent rains offered an important benefit. “If this fire was a year ago at this time, we'd be up there for days because that whole valley would have gone,” Brown said.
Even with the wetter spring, Brown said firefighters are concerned about the summer.
“We've had so much rain that the fuel load has gotten huge,” he said.
Cal Fire remains on minimum staffing right now, and Brown said that agency won't be up to full staffing until July 1.
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