Paso Robles apartment fire caused by smoking materials, officials say

Improperly discarded smoking materials caused an apartment fire in Paso Robles on Saturday afternoon, according to a news release from the City of Paso Robles.

About 2:22 p.m., the Paso Robles Department of Emergency Services was dispatched to the 1200 block of Stoney Creek Drive. The first fire engine arrived at the scene within about eight minutes. The fire crew reported heavy fire and smoke in the attic space of a building containing eight apartments, the news release said.

Nine fire truck units responded to the blaze, coming from Paso Robles, Templeton, Atascadero and County Fire. Twenty firefighters were needed to bring the blaze under control quickly, according to the release. The Paso Robles Police Department, San Luis Ambulance and the American Red Cross provided additional assistance.

Exterior siding of the outside balcony was ignited because of improperly discarded smoking materials, the news release said. Fire traveled up the wall and into the eaves, eventually spreading throughout the attic space.

A woman and her child inside the apartment were unaware of the fire until three good Samaritans forced entry to evacuate the apartment. No injuries were reported.

The fire caused substantial roof damage and significantly impacted two of the upstairs apartments. None of the eight units in the building were immediately habitable because of utility safety concerns. A Disaster Action Team from the American Red Cross responded to help those displaced by the fire.

An estimate cost of damages caused by the fire was unavailable.

This story was originally published February 7, 2016 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Paso Robles apartment fire caused by smoking materials, officials say."