Copyright 2005 MediaNews Group, Inc.
By TAD WHITAKER
Marin Independent Journal (California)
A Dillon Beach fire that firefighters thought was out flared up early Saturday morning, destroying a house and damaging two others.
Marin County Fire Capt. Tom Nunes said no injuries were reported in the fire at 4, 6 and 8 Cliff St. He said a cause is under investigation, but investigators suspect a malfunctioning appliance or hot ashes could be to blame.
Crews from Point Reyes, Hicks Valley, Wilmar, Bodega and Bodega Bay helped battled the fire. Firefighters from Woodacre and Novato covered stations in those areas. In all, there were 35 firefighters and 17 pieces of equipment.
“It was a long night,” he said.
Nunes said the fire was reported at 7:42 p.m. Friday at 6 Cliff St. Firefighters from Tomales Station arrived at 7:56 p.m. to find the back corner of the house on fire with flames lapping at the house next door.
“That fire caught the adjacent house on fire because the homes were so close,” he said.
He said firefighters from several surrounding agencies knocked down both fires by 8:22 p.m. At that point, about a quarter of 6 Cliff St. was damaged; 8 Cliff St. sustained minor damage.
Firefighters stayed at the scene until midnight before returning to Tomales Station. A volunteer firefighter in Dillon Beach went by the affected houses at about 2:15 a.m. and recalled seeing no smoke, hot spots or other problems.
“Every indication was that it was out,” Nunes said.
At 3:14 a.m., dispatchers recalled firefighters to the scene. Upon arrival, 6 Cliff St. was engulfed, 8 Cliff St. was partly on fire and the eaves of 4 Cliff St. were igniting due to the intense heat.
“Just standing across the street was almost too much to bear,” he said.
Nunes said firefighters protected 10 Cliff St. and put out 4 Cliff St., which sustained minor damage. He described 6 Cliff St. as “gutted” and 8 Cliff St. as having sustained major damage due in large part to the old wood material.
“The construction lent itself to burning,” he said.
No one was home at any of the structures during the fire. Fire officials described the houses as cottage-style vacation homes. A renter at 6 Cliff St. is being interviewed about the cause, fire officials said.
Nunes said the department will leave a firefighter at the scene of a fire if there is reason to believe it may reignite. But the first fire did not appear to warrant anyone staying behind.
“What we saw overnight was that this thing was out cold,” he said.