1 person dies, 1 escapes fire at Santa Rosa home

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (BCN/KTVU) - One person died and another escaped a two-alarm residential fire in east Santa Rosa this afternoon, an assistant fire marshal said.

Firefighters responded around 11:45 a.m. to the fire and reports of explosions in the 100 block of Nebraska Drive, Santa Rosa Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal said.

The single-family home was involved in heavy fire and residents of six nearby homes were evacuated, Lowenthal said.

Live wires were arcing in front of the house and shell casings inside the home were exploding, he said.

A Santa Rosa police officer found one of the home's residents outside the back of the home. The resident was taken to a hospital but another resident was found dead inside, Lowenthal said.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office's bomb squad arrived in response to black powder associated with the shell casings and the possibility of more ammunition inside the house, according to Lowenthal.

Santa Rosa police and fire investigators are at the scene this afternoon to determine the cause and origin of the blaze, Lowenthal said.

The blaze was knocked down but was still smoldering this afternoon, Lowenthal said.