Southbrook Drive Fire Appears to be Accidental

A fire that killed two dogs and engulfed a home on the 5500 block of Southbrook Drive Wednesday appears to be an accident, a Contra Costa Fire District official said Friday.

The cause, however, is still under investigation.

Investigators believe the fire started in the living room before spreading through the house, which did not have smoke detectors installed. A couple of months ago the smoke detectors in the house had been disabled for painting and remodeling, investigator Vic Massenkoff said.

"If they had smoke detectors, we would have responded faster, and the fire probably would have been contained to one room," he said.

The only person in the home at the time, a 17-year-old boy, said he was sleeping when the fire began. The smell of smoke awoke him, and when he opened his bedroom door he saw the flames. He escaped from the burning house through his bedroom window, Massenkoff said.

Firefighters responded at 4:31 p.m. and extinguished the fire by 5:06 p.m.

No one else was home at the time and no one was injured. Firefighters initially estimated the fire caused $150,000 worth of damage.

 This was the second Contra Costa County house fire in less than a week where smoke detectors were disabled. The other fire nearly led to a fatality.

Three women were rescued by a passer-by, Dan Hernak, in Pittsburg when their home caught fire on Saturday.

"Smoke detectors are so readily available and easy to buy and install, there's no reason not to have them," Massenkoff said. "They save lives."

Massenkoff said with exception of the kitchen, smoke detectors should be in every room and the hallways.