Fire in Attic Renders Novato Home Uninhabitable

Boxes of household goods ignited in the attic of a Novato home on Tuesday morning, resulting in an electrical fire that caused major damage to a single-family home, a fire official said.

The received a call at 8:05 a.m. for a blaze in the 400 block of Via del Plano in the Loma Verde neighborhood, and the first responders were on scene four minutes later, Deputy Chief Eric Nickel said. Personnel from four engines, one ladder truck and one paramedic unit showed up and helped contain the fire in 32 minutes, Nickel said.

Nobody was injured in the fire, which was concentrated in an attic that was packed with boxes stacked about three feet high. Nickel said firefighters rushed to throw waterproof tarps over furniture and other belongings as the nozzles were pinpointed on the flames up above.

“We do that to minimize water and smoke damage,” he said. “We are very aggressive with our salvage coverage so we can save whatever we can for the family.”

Nickel said investigators indicated that the fire was accidental and not suspicious. The damage estimate was $70,000 to the structure and $30,000 to the contents.

Nickel said a couple living at the home got out safely and their grown children came down from Petaluma to assist them. The home is uninhabitable and the couple would stay with family, he said.

Firefighters removed the attic material after the fire was put out, and Nickel said a crew would stay at the house to continue the salvage effort.

Fire crews from San Rafael and Marinwood covered Novato stations while Novato crews were busy with the blaze.