By Khalida Sarwari
A two-alarm blaze that destroyed a Palo Alto home and displaced a family of four this morning caused an estimated $1 million to $2 million in damage, a fire department spokesman said.
The fire was reported at 7:07 a.m. at a large house located at 1005 University Ave., police Lt. Sandra Brown said. It was controlled at 8 a.m., Deputy Fire Chief Roger Bloom said.
Firefighters arrived within six minutes and found the home engulfed in flames and heavy smoke, Bloom said.
The blaze, possibly caused by an unattended candle, started in a bedroom on the second floor of the house, Bloom said.
The home, built in 1901, suffered a collapsed roof and extensive damage, Bloom said.
He said firefighters initially entered the home because the fire had spread, but 15 minutes later they went back outside due to the risk of the house collapsing.
“We were further hampered by down power lines in front of the building, which made us address that hazard and altered our firefighting tactics,” he said.
He said flames had impinged on the power lines.
A total of about 15 people were initially evacuated from the burning house, homes on either side of it and houses behind it. The blaze did not damage adjacent homes, Bloom said.
No one was injured in the fire and there are no signs of foul play, Brown said.
About 30 firefighters assisted in the response to the blaze, including those from the Menlo Park Fire Protection District and the Mountain View and Santa Clara County fire departments.
The American Red Cross provided assistance to the displaced family, which included a husband and wife, a grandmother, and an adult son.
University Avenue will remain closed between Chaucer and Seneca streets until late this afternoon, Brown said. Traffic is being redirected down Hamilton and Palo Alto avenues.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.