San Rafael house damaged by crawlspace fire

A fire broke out in a crawlspace below a San Rafael living room while the residents were not home.

The fire happened Monday afternoon at 20 Blossom Drive. A neighbor was walking his dog when he heard several smoke detectors inside the residence, said Deputy Chief Robert Sinnott of the San Rafael Fire Department.

The neighbor texted the homeowner, who provided the code to access the front door. The neighbor entered the residence, saw flames burning near the fireplace and called 911.

Firefighters turned off the gas line and discovered the fire burning in the crawlspace.

“Damage was confined to a small area and the home can be reoccupied,” Sinnott said.

The neighbor who called 911 was treated for a minor injury, Sinnott said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation on Tuesday.

Sinnott said the fire stresses the importance of working smoke detectors.

“Smoke alarms provide early warning, even when a home is unoccupied, and in this case were loud enough to alert a passerby to a dangerous situation,” he said.