Vacant Home Catches Fire, Responders Nearly Fall Through Roof

First responders battling a fire in a vacant Elk Grove home could have fallen through a roof into a burning attic if they hadn't recognized signs the roof's supports had been compromised, the Cosumnes Fire Department said Friday.

Neighbors of the home on Adobe Valley Court, near Elk Grove Regional Park, smelled smoke and saw smoke coming from attic vents of the house. The home had just been renovated and new residents were about to move in, the fire department said.

When crews arrived they discovered the fire was contained to the attic, according to the department. 

“This fire had been burning for some time before it was discovered”, a press release quoted Deputy Fire Chief John Michelini as saying.

Firefighters were about to cut a hole in the roof to ventilate smoke from the fire, when they "discovered a soft roof, indicating that the roof supports had been compromised."

The fire was contained within about 20 minutes, and one firefighter suffered minor injuries and was treated on-scene, the department said.

"Once the fire was extinguished we discovered that a large area of the structure holding up the roof had been completely destroyed by the fire, yet there was no visible indication of that damage inside or outside of the home until we were able to get into the attic space," the Cosumnes Fire Department said. "The house with fresh new carpet, tile, paint and fixtures suffered over $30,000 in damage." 

The fire was caused by electrical components in the attic, the department said.

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