A century-old home was heavily damaged by fire on Nov. 7 in Redlands.
Redlands firefighters received a call for a home on fire in the 300 block of Sonora Street shortly after 7:30 a.m. and when firefighters arrived they found the two-story home well involved. No one was home, but firefighters say fire had probably been burning in the interior walls for some time before the fire was detected.
About 8 a.m. the structure’s roof collapsed and firefighters pulled back from the building before beginning a new attack on the blaze. The fire was knocked down at about 9, but firefighters remained on scene performing mop up until about 3:30 p.m.
The approximately 1,800-square-foot home was built in 1904 and it had been divided into separate upstairs and downstairs rental units. A majority of the fire damage was to the upstairs portion of the house. The downstairs portion also suffered significant water damage.
The cause of the fire was likely electrical given the old-style wiring and a history of electrical problems in the house.
Damage was estimated at approximately $300,000 for the structure and another $50,000 in contents.
A dog and a cat belonging to the residents were rescued from the fire.
Two overlapping shifts from the Redlands Fire Department responded along with personnel from Loma Linda, San Bernardino County and a Deputy Fire Chief from the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District who saw the flames as he was heading to work. A total of 31 personnel responded.
Smoke from the fire could be seen throughout Redlands downtown and nearby residential areas.
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