Unattended AC Sparks Fabric Blaze

An air-conditioner was blamed for a fire at a home at 740 S. Auburn St., in Grass Valley City on Monday evening.

No one was home when the air conditioner overheated an extension cord. The cord was buried under some clothes and a sleeping bag, which began to smolder for about two hours before anyone called the fire department, said Grass Valley City Fire Chief Hank Weston.

"Neighbors saw smoke and called the fire department at 8 p.m.," Weston said. "A neighbor broke a window to put water on the fire, but the oxygen made the fire flare up."

The apartment was in a converted motel, Weston said. The firefighters extinguished the fire quickly, and it did not spread to the other units.

"We used less than 20 gallons of water," Weston said. "By the time the residents got home, we had it all clean and clear of smoke."

He said the Red Cross was called to take care of the residents, a married couple and their 17-year-old son.

Only the name of the husband, John Cocan, was available, Weston said.

Damage to the apartment and its contents was estimated at $10,000.

In addition to Grass Valley City Fire Department, the Nevada County Consolidated and Ophir Hill fire departments responded.

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