Santa Rosa house destroyed after cardboard boxes ignite

Cardboard boxes stacked atop a heating register sparked a fire that destroyed a house in Santa Rosa's Burbank Gardens neighborhood Saturday morning.

Fire officials said the family was in the process of moving from the Charles Street house near Brown Street and had been staying with family members, Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

But some of their belongings remained inside, including cartons that were on top of the floor register when the furnace kicked on overnight, Basque said.

The flames, discovered at 7:25 a.m., gutted the single-story wood frame house, which was engulfed when firefighters arrived three minutes later, Basque said.

Basque said the incident serves as a reminder of the need to check thermostat settings.

"In the last couple nights, it's finally gotten cold enough where furnaces will kick on by themselves after being off all year long," Basque said.

He said residents should evaluate the safety of heating units, ensure combustibles are at least 36 inches away from heat-generating devices and make sure smoke detectors are installed and working.

Basque estimated damage to the Charles Street house at $150,000 for the structure and $5,000 for contents.