Roof collapses on SLO County home during early morning fire

All occupants of a home made it safely out after the roof collapsed during a fire early Saturday morning in Atascadero, according to fire officials.

According to a news release from Atascadero Fire and Emergency Services, a single-story unit at 4175 San Benito Road had “heavy smoke” coming from the roof and upper parts of the home when firefighters arrived just after 3 a.m.

Then, as the first unit was giving a report of the fire, the roof collapsed on a portion of the structure, the release said.

According to the release, the homeowner had tried to open the windows and doors to help clear smoke — which “increased the oxygen supply to the attic fire, dramatically speeding the spread.”

The cause of the fire was still under investigation as fo Saturday afternoon.

For further information, call Atascadero Fire and Emergency Services battalion chief Dave VanSon at 805-862-7694.

This story was originally published November 16, 2024 at 5:14 PM.

Kelsey Oliver

The Tribune

Kelsey Oliver is a reporting intern for The Tribune. She’s originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a current graduate student at The Graduate Schools of Journalism and Public Health at UC Berkeley.