San Diego

A fire that began when leaking gasoline fumes were ignited by the pilot light of a water heater caused $80,000 in damage to a home in the 100 block of Meadowbrook Avenue Sunday afternoon. The lone occupant was not injured.

Firefighters arriving at the scene at 2:10 p.m. quickly extinguished the flames, but not before they had destroyed the garage and another room, said Fire Department spokesman Bob Sumler. The rest of the house was heavily damaged by smoke, he said.

The fire broke out when a man attempting to remove a stripped car from the garage sawed the vehicle in half and moved the rear portion to the back of the garage. Gasoline leaked from the car’s gas tank, and fumes were ignited by the pilot light of a nearby water heater, causing a small explosion, Sumler said.