Stove sparks house fire in Refugio Canyon

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A small home in Refugio Canyon went up in flames on Thursday morning after a poorly installed wood stove ignited a nearby wall, fire officials said.
Fire crews arrived at 1900 Refugio Rd. after receiving multiple reports of smoke from motorists on Highway 101, finding flames scorching the living room of a single-family home.

After determining that the lone resident had escaped uninjured, crews began fighting the blaze, County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said.
“Firefighters had to extend fire hose several hundred feet by hand, dragging hose across Refugio Creek in the process, to get water to this structure,” he said. “Fire had extended through a wall in the living room into the adjoining bedroom and up into the roof.”
Firefighters confined flames to those areas, largely extinguishing the fire in 10 minutes and gaining full control in half an hour. Fire investigators determined a potbelly wood stove sparked the blaze due to its improper installation.
The resident told fire officials he woke up to find heavy smoke in the home and managed to escape and alert neighbors.
“Once again, there was no functioning smoke alarm in the house,” Capt. Iskow said. “…This is another example of a resident very lucky to be alive.”