Converted Garage Catches Fire, Dogs Rescued

A garage converted to a living space caught fire early Sunday, damaging two adjacent homes and leaving four people without a place to stay, fire officials said.

The fire happened at 670 Martinelli St. at 2:15 a.m. Sunday. Chief Greg Estrada of Cal Fire was the first to respond, followed by Watsonville Fire Chief Mark Bisbee, and backup was immediately called for due to the nature of the fire.

The blaze started in the garage and spread to the rest of the house, a two-story duplex.

Firefighters got reports of a person trapped in on the top floor. Those were false, but two dogs were rescued from the top floor in one side of the duplex, according to Chris Johnson, Division Chief for Watsonville Fire.

The fire was controlled in 30 minutes, Johnson said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but a mechanical malfunction or accidental situation is suspected. Firefighters believe it was caused by either an iron or cooking device left on, according to Johnson.

Roughly $300,000 worth of damage was done to the structure and contents, according to a woman who lived there. She and three other adults were displaced by the fire. Johnson said the damage is so extreme that the structure is unliveable.

Three units from Watsonville Fire, one from Aptos Fire, two from CalFire, two from Central Fire and one from North Monterey County were called out to fight the fire, as well as two American Medical Response units.