Duplex fire displaces 10 residents, one pet unaccounted for

One pet is unaccounted for but all 10 residents made it out safely after a fire at a duplex in Santa Rosa early Tuesday morning, fire officials said.

Fire crews responded at 12:54 a.m. to the blaze reported at a residence in the 1600 block of James Court but had initial trouble getting to the scene because of a narrow driveway and residents trying to leave in their vehicles, according to the fire department.

When they got to the residence, firefighters found flames burning in one unit of the duplex as well as an outbuilding, a fence and some trees, with residents trying to put it out using garden hoses, fire officials said.

The blaze was brought under control within about 15 minutes, with significant fire and smoke damage to one unit of the duplex and moderate smoke damage to the second unit. The damage was estimated at $200,000, according to the fire department.

No injuries were reported among firefighters or the 10 residents displaced from the two units. Two pets escaped the fire but a third hadn’t been found as of later Tuesday morning.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.