A fire Thursday destroyed about one-third a house perched on a
hill in rural Santa Clara County near Highway 152, while it appears
to have started after a resident of the home lit a burn pile about
25 feet from the structure.
A fire Thursday destroyed about one-third a house perched on a hill in rural Santa Clara County near Highway 152, while it appears to have started after a resident of the home lit a burn pile about 25 feet from the structure.
Nobody was injured in the fire that started at about 11:30 a.m. The house sits at the end of a windy road near Highway 152 and San Felipe Road, in rural Santa Clara County.
The only resident home at the time was a 17-year-old male, who told authorities he had started a burn pile near the home shortly before the fire started, said Southern Santa Clara County Calfire Battalion Chief Darrell Wolf. That pile appeared to be about 20 to 30 feet from the single-story house, near the focus of the flames.
The fire was “totally an accident,” a family member emphasized after the incident.
Firefighters contained the blaze in about 45 minutes. When firefighters arrived, the male resident had been in the yard wearing a towel. The family dog was running nearby as well.
Wolf noted the resident had admitted to starting the pile on fire shortly before the house was ignited. It appeared as though it started on the home’s exterior, likely the roof, Wolf said. He estimated about $100,000 in damages, but that firefighters saved about $200,000 in value to the property.
As the fire burned, authorities were attempting to get in contact with the homeowners.
Look before for more information, along with video.
