Foot Warmer Blamed For Calif. Business Fire
Source The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
March 06--An electric foot warmer under a desk at a downtown Santa Rosa business apparently sparked a fire early Tuesday, reported a Santa Rosa fire official.
An employee arriving at the B Street office found smoke in the building and called for help at 5:40 a.m.
The two-story Victorian-era home had been converted into offices and currently houses GBS Financial Corp, a financial services company.
Firefighters found no flames but smoke continued to build up in the building, said Battalion Chief Mike Jones.
Thermal imaging cameras pointed them to fire burning inside flooring under a desk on the second floor.
They cut away some flooring, exposed the burning joists and put out the fire.
Firefighters also cleared the building of smoke and the company opened for business.
Jones said the fire caused about $10,000 damage to the building and $2,000 to contents.
The cause appeared to be that the foot warmer malfunctioned and sparked a fire that burned into the flooring.
Fourteen firefighters responded.
Copyright 2012 - The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
