Tea Rose Drive Fire

On December 23, 2011 at 08:43 a.m., units from El Dorado Hills Fire Department, Cameron Park Fire Department and Rescue Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire on Tea Rose Drive in the Hills of El Dorado subdivision. Engine 88 from Cameron Park Fire and Engine 86 from El Dorado Hills Fire (Bass Lake Road Station) arrived simultaneously and attacked the fire which had started in some leaf litter just below a pellet stove vent on the outside of the structure.  The fire extended to a fence and worked its way up the side of the house, eventually making its way back into the chimney chase through a crack just under the eave. The homeowner was attempting to extinguish the fire with a garden hose upon the Fire Department's arrival; however, the fire had already established itself inside the structure's walls and required some demolition of the interior sheetrock and exterior stucco to fully extinguish.  Had the homeowners not discovered the fire and called 911 as quickly as they had, the outcome would have been far worse. Keeping the pellet stove vent area clear of leaves could have prevented this fire from occurring.  The same preventative measure goes for tree branches or flammable items located near chimneys, vents, barbeques, and other possible heat sources.