Building Fire Near Cathedral Of St. Eugene Causes $400K In Damage

SANTA ROSA, CA — There were multiple signs that transients were occupying a boarded-up, abandoned building that caught fire early Monday morning at the Monsignor J. Erwin Becker Center, immediately adjacent to the Cathedral of St. Eugene Church property, the Santa Rosa Fire Department said.

Firefighters responded at 4:52 a.m. to reports of a structure fire near St. Eugene's Church, SRFD Battalion Chief Matt Dahl said.

"The first units arrived in under five minutes and found a large, one-story abandoned building at 2323 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa with fire that had already burned from the interior through the roof," Dahl said.

A second alarm was requested because of the intensity of the fire and because of obstructions. All the windows and doors of the building were boarded closed and secured, Dahl said.

"Firefighters used power tools to remove the plywood from the window openings and force open the doors to access the bulk of the fire," Dahl said.

The fire was extinguished from outside of the building using a ladder truck and high-volume hose lines.

With six engine crews and a total of 33 fire personnel on scene, the blaze was brought under control in less than two hours.

Once it was deemed safe to enter the building, firefighters searched for any occupants.

"Firefighters found multiple indicators that transients were occupying the building but did not find anyone inside," Dahl said.

Damage to the building was estimated at $400,000.

"The fire significantly damaged the structural members on approximately half of the building and the damage indicated that it could potentially collapse," Dahl said. "City construction equipment and personnel responded and knocked down the hazardous sections of the building so that firefighters could ensure that the fire was completely extinguished."

Sonoma County Fire District, Santa Rosa Police Department and PG&E assisted with the incident response.

The fire remains under investigation.