Anderson couple escapes house fire

ABLAZE: No one was injured in a 3 a.m. garage fire on March 11 on Anna Road in Anderson. Anderson Fire Protection District Fire Chief Andy Nichols estimated total losses at $100,000.

An early morning fire caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to an Anderson home and its detached garage at 19413 Anna Rd. Anderson Fire Protection District Chief Andy Nichols said the fire started around 3 a.m. in the garage and spread to the kitchen and living room.

The home's back bedrooms sustained heavy smoke damage and the residence is uninhabitable, he said.

"It wasn't a total loss, but there was major damage to it ," he said.

Nichols said residents Zachary Colbert and his pregnant wife, Merissa, escaped unharmed, as well as their two dogs and cat.

The fire started behind a dryer in the garage, but Nichols said it has not been determined if the dryer was the cause of the fire or if it started in the wall behind it.

The fire was discovered by Colbert's wife, who had gotten up to use the bathroom and saw the flames, he said.

A power line that was downed by the fire initially hampered firefighters gaining access to the property, he said.

The fire was fought by Anderson Fire Protection District firefighters, as well as crews from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Cottonwood, Happy Valley and West Valley fire departments.