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Bathroom exhaust fan sparks attic fire in San Luis Obispo

Posted at 6:56 PM, Apr 20, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-20 21:57:38-04

San Luis Obispo City Fire Department responded to a structure fire that displaced two residents Saturday afternoon.

Battalion Chief Bob Bisson says the 911 call came in around 3:40 p.m. Residents who are renting a granny unit behind a home in the area of Mitchell Drive and Broad Street made the call when they realized their bathroom fan had failed and was on fire.

With dripping plastic and fire dropping onto the bathroom floor, authorities say residents attempted putting the fire out with cups of water. They soon realized the fire had spread into the attic, Chief Bisson said.

Fire crews pulled the ceiling down to fight the fire from below and had to cut a hole in the roof to get smoke out, Chief Bisson says.

According to fire crews, no one was injured but there is significant damage to the ceiling and electrical system. A building inspector red-tagged the building and authorities estimate it will take a few weeks to make it habitable again.