CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The cause of a fire that damaged a Clearlake Oaks home early Saturday morning has been traced to a barbecue.
The fire was first dispatched shortly after 2:30 a.m. in the 12000 block of The Plaza, as Lake County News has reported.
Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown said firefighters found that a barbecue had overturned, igniting the rear porch area of the doublewide mobile home.
He said the fire did damage underneath the home and then ran the attic area and the laundry room.
Brown and Battalion Chief Steve Hart were the responding chief officers.
When Brown and the first Northshore Fire engine from the Clearlake Oaks station arrived, they found the home's occupants safely outside.
He said the first engine in made entry to the home, knocked down the interior fire and did a primary search, rescuing four kittens from the home.
The second engine from the Clearlake Oaks engine, along with a Cal Fire, arrived, with personnel tearing into the rear exterior of the home to extinguish the fire, Brown said.
An engine also came from Lucerne, with that team of firefighters placing salvage covers and pulling ceilings to stop the fire running the attack, according to Brown.
Brown estimated the damage the fire did to the home at $40,000.
He said the fire was checked throughout the day by personnel from Northshore Fire's Clearlake Oaks station.
With the Clearlake Oaks station serving as headquarters for this weekend's Catfish Derby, firefighters instead took the hose used to put out the fire to the Cal Fire station to be cleaned, Brown said.
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