Home Built in 1904 Severely Damaged by Fire on Sonora Street in Redlands

A two-story home built in 1904 was heavily damaged during a blaze Wednesday morning in Redlands, a city spokesman said.

A dog and a cat belonging to the residents were rescued from the fire, and the cause was likely electrical given "old-style wiring and a history of electrical problems in the house," Redlands spokesman Carl Baker said.

The fire was reported after 7:30 a.m. Nov. 7 in the 300 block of Sonora, Baker said.

"When firefighters arrived they found the two-story home well involved," Baker said. "No one was home at the residence but firefighters say fire had probably been burning in the interior walls for some time before the fire was detected."

Smoke from the fire could be seen throughout downtown Redlands and adjacent neighborhoods, Baker said.

"Two overlapping shifts from the Redlands Fire Department responded along with personnel from Loma Linda, San Bernardino County and a Deputy Fire Chief from the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District who saw the flames as he was heading to work," Baker said. "A total of 31 personnel responded."

The home's roof collapsed about 8 a.m. and firefighters pulled back for a time, Baker said. The fire was declared knocked down about 9 a.m.

Firefighters remained on scene until about 3:30 p.m., Baker said.

Damage to the home was estimated around $300,000 for the structure and $50,000 for contents, Baker said.

"Because of the historical nature of the home, rebuilding and restoration could run significantly higher," Baker said.

The home was about 1,800 square feet and it had been divided into separate upstairs and downstairs rental units, Baker said. Most of the fire damage was to the upstairs portion of the house. The downstairs portion suffered significant water damage.

No injuries were reported.

Follow Redlands-Loma Linda Patch on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for the free daily newsletter here.