By Khalida Sarwari
Firefighters responded to a one-alarm fire at a ranch house in Palo Alto this afternoon, a fire department spokesman said.
The fire was reported at about 2:05 p.m. at a single-story house in the 700 block of Coastland Drive, according to Deputy Fire Chief Roger Bloom.
The homeowners smelled smoke, got out and called 911, Bloom said.
The fire appears to have started in the attic and charred portions of the roof rafters and insulation, Bloom said.
Police arrived and found smoke coming from the eaves of the roof but no flames. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire was smoldering but mostly out, Bloom said.
Firefighters cut an inspection hole in the roof and pulled out some the ceiling in the front living room before using a garden hose to douse the fire. It was controlled at 2:20 p.m.
The homeowners were not harmed in the fire.
There was no threat to surrounding homes.
Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire, which might have been started by electrical wires or construction inside the home to replace a window in the living room directly below the attic, Bloom said.