Family alerted by smoke alarm escapes house fire in Pinole

PINOLE — A family of three was awakened by a smoke alarm and escaped a blaze at their two-story house early Tuesday, a fire official said.
The mother, father and young boy were out of the home in the 2500 block of Samuel Street when fire crews arrived at 2:43 a.m., six minutes after being dispatched, Battalion Chief Bryan Craig said. The quick response kept the blaze from destroying the house and also kept nearby homes and eucalyptus trees from catching fire, he said.
“The house sits next to a eucalyptus grove on a narrow street,” Craig said. “Eucalyptus is rather flammable, so in that respect, we were very fortunate.”
Firefighters arrived to see flames in the basement, extending into the living room, Craig said. The fire didn’t spread far, and crews put it out in five minutes, quickly enough that the family will be able to move back in once the power is restored.
It could take a while. Investigators found that electrical equipment being used to grow marijuana legally caused the electrical panel to blow out, Craig said.
No injuries were reported in the blaze.
“As long as the batteries work, that alarm will wake you up out of a sound sleep and save your life,” Craig said. “That’s what happened here.”

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