According to Battalion Chief Dave George, the blaze at 3011 Stinson Circle was reported to fire officials around 6:15 p.m.
The fire was under control by 6:30 p.m., he said. The residents were not there at the time of the fire, but firefighters rescued a golden retriever from the home, George said.
The house received about $1,000 in damage to the attic and the roof, he said.
"This was really a spectacular stop-and-save considering the fact that a third of the attic was ablaze when the crews arrived and in the end nothing from the ceiling down in the house was damaged. In one sense, it really was a surgical attack," said George.
Fire officials were able to determine that the blaze was caused by the spontaneous combustion of oily rags that had been used to stain the deck.
"The prevention message is, if you're going to use rags to stain a deck, simply put them in a bucket of water or soak them really good with water once you're done and then they won't catch fire," said the battalion chief.
There were no injuries caused by the fire, but the residents were displaced. George said they arrived while the fire was being fought and were very appreciative of the firefighters saving their dog.
