According to the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, firefighters responded quickly to prevent a garage fire from spreading to the rest of a home near Ukiah on Monday evening.
According to UFVA Battalion Chief Justin Buckingham, crews were dispatched to the 2000 block of Appolinaris Drive in the Regina Heights area east of Ukiah around 7:30 p.m. on August 18, and arrived within five minutes. A neighbor had reported seeing smoke emerging from the residence.
“Crews were able to quickly knock down the fire before it spread to the rest of the house,” said Buckingham, explaining that there were no injuries to humans or pets, and that the damage to the residence beyond the garage was “minor smoke damage and water intrusion.”
Buckingham stated that the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but it appears to have been an accident.
The Redwood Valley-Calpella Volunteer Fire Department and the Mendocino Unit of Cal Fire also responded to the fire, as did personnel from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Pacific Gas and Electric.
When asked if the cause of a house fire late last month on South Dora Street had been determined, Buckingham stated that the fire, which began in the attic of a home in the 1800 block of South Dora Street around 8:25 p.m. on July 27, was caused by “improper disposal of smoking materials.”
When asked if the fire was accidental or intentional, Buckingham said it was still being investigated.
The UVFA previously stated that the homeowner was the only person in the house at the time of the fire and had successfully evacuated. After the woman left the scene and returned, UVFA personnel reported that she was approached by officers from the Ukiah Police Department and the California Highway Patrol, and she was later arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired.
According to Mendocino County Jail booking records, the CHP arrested a 47-year-old Ukiah woman around 9:20 p.m. on July 27 on suspicion of driving under the influence.
