Fire Rips Through Santa Rosa Dry-Cleaning Business, Destroying It

SANTA ROSA, CA — A Santa Rosa dry-cleaning business was destroyed when a fire tore through the facility early Wednesday morning. It was a total loss, with damages estimated at $400,000 and the building at 2076 Armory Drive red-tagged by city officials, according to Santa Rosa Fire Department Battalion Chief Matthew Gloeckner.

The city's fire and police departments was notified at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday that a motion alarm had been triggered at ProClean Services Inc. Dry Cleaning and Laundry Services. The first fire department resource arrived on scene in less than 5 minutes to find heavy smoke coming from the single-story commercial building, Gloeckner said.

"ProClean Services Inc. Dry Cleaning and Laundry Services, was fully charged with heavy smoke and had a working fire inside," Gloeckner said. "The other occupancy, 2074 Armory Drive, was vacant and had moderate smoke issuing from it."

A full response was requested; in total, 31 fire personnel from both SRFD and Sonoma County Fire District responded. Emergency personnel from the Santa Rosa Police Department, AMR Ambulance and PG&E were also at the scene.

Crews had to force entry into the dry-cleaning business — as well as the adjoining vacant unit — and once inside, had to contend with heavy heat and smoke while extinguishing the blaze and searching the building to make sure no one was inside, Gloeckner said.

Firefighters cut ventilation holes in the roof of the building to release heat and smoke, and were able to contain the fire within around 30 minutes.

"The contents of the dry-cleaning business were a total loss," Gloeckner said. "The building sustained major fire, smoke and heat damage inside the dry-cleaning business. The vacant occupancy sustained moderate smoke damage though fire crews prevented the fire from spreading into that vacant portion of the building."

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but fire officials did not immediately believe it was arson or suspicious in nature.

"The dry-cleaning business was closed at the time of the fire and the business owner reported that the last employee left the business at approximately 6 p.m. [Tuesday]," Gloeckner said.