High-Tech Billionaire Hewlett, 87, Rescued From Burning Mansion
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PALO ALTO — The mansion of Silicon Valley pioneer William Hewlett was seriously damaged in a fire Sunday night, and the 87-year-old billionaire had to be evacuated from a second-floor balcony.
No one was injured in the fire, which burned the center of the three-wing, 8,000-square-foot house and caused an estimated $1.5 million in damage. Firefighters needed more than three hours to extinguish it.
The fire is thought to have started when a pipe used to oxygenate a fireplace heated up and ignited wood in the structure, Fire Capt. Tony Spitaleri said Monday.
In September, Forbes magazine listed Hewlett as the 26th-richest American, with an estimated net worth of $9 billion.
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