Condominium Fire Causes $100K in Damages

A fire at a Santa Cruz condominium Saturday afternoon is estimated to have caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages, a fire battalion chief said.

Firefighters responded to a structure fire in the 300 block of High St. at 3:11 p.m., Battalion Chief Rob Young said. Crews who arrived on scene found the fire in the first floor of a two-story condominium building with four units, Young said.

Firefighters had to extend hose lines to the building because it was away from the roadway and closer to the hillside, he said.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the first floor of a unit, according to Young.

Residents from all the building's units self-evacuated and no injuries were reported, Young said. Three of the five occupants in the unit where the fire started told firefighters they had smelled smoke, found the fire and escaped, he said.

The fire was caused by an electrical accident in the unit and investigators estimated $100,000 in property damage, Young said.

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