Firefighters responded to the fire along Highway 20 shortly before 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 6, 2009. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

 
NICE – A garage was destroyed and a home damaged Monday when a controlled burn that appeared to be extinguished caught the buildings on fire.

The fire was reported shortly before 1:30 p.m. at 1757 E. Highway 20, near Red Hills Lane, according to Northshore Fire Chief Jim Robbins.

Robbins said a woman had been doing a controlled burn of some leaves and thought it had smoldered down to nothing, so she walked out to get her mail and when she came back found her single-car garage was on fire.

The building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived and by that point it had started to burn the nearby doublewide mobile, said Robbins.

Radio reports indicated there may have been some explosions within the garage due to gas cans.

While firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the garage fire, fighting to save the house took longer, Robbins explained.

The mobile had wood siding and a second roof. Robbins said the fire got up between the two roofs, which meant firefighters had to use chainsaws to cut holes in the outer roof.

It took 16 firefighters, three engines – one each from Northshore Fire's Lucerne, Nice and Upper Lake stations – and a water tender from Upper Lake about two hours to take care of the fires and the subsequent mop up, said Robbins. At least one Lakeport firefighter also was on scene.

An ambulance from the Lucerne station also was on hand, but Robbins said no one was hurt.

Robbins estimated the fire caused $30,000 in damage.

While the garage was a complete loss, the doublewide mobile was saved, said Robbins. “It will take some repairs.”

Harold LaBonte contributed to this report.

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A Lakeport firefighter uses a chain saw to cut through one of two roofs on the mobile home on Monday, April 6, 2009. Photo by Harold LaBonte.