Update: Fireplace Embers Spark Fire, Displace Two Residents

Updated Feb. 20, 2:18 p.m.

By Bay City News Service

A one-alarm fire at a San Leandro home early Tuesday morning displaced two residents and their dog, Alameda County fire officials said.

Related story: Read the homeowner's first person account of escaping the blaze.

The fire was reported at a home in the 700 block of Elsie Avenue at 12:47 a.m.

Arriving crews found flames coming from the one-story home's living room, where a window had shattered, according to the fire department.

Both the exterior and interior of the home were burning.

The blaze was extinguished within 15 minutes, fire officials said.

The fire appears to have been sparked by fireplace embers that floated up through the chimney and ignited nearby trees, according to fire officials.

The fire then spread into the home after the living room window broke because of the heat outside, officials said.

The two residents exited the home safely after their dog's barking alerted them about the fire, according to the fire department. They were displaced but are able to stay with neighbors.

The blaze caused about $60,000 in damage to the living room's ceiling, walls and furniture, and to the attic, officials said.

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