Garage, Attic Fire Displaces Petaluma Family Of 4

PETALUMA, CA — A family of four was displaced by a fire Thursday night at their Petaluma home but most of their belongings were spared thanks to the quick work of firefighters.

The Petaluma Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday to reports of a structure fire in the 800 block of Whitney Way on the east side of Petaluma and found a house with a fully involved garage fire.

A battalion chief, two engine crews, a ladder truck and an ambulance crew were on scene within 5 minutes and the fire was knocked down within 20 minutes, Assistant Petaluma fire Chief Chad Costa said.

While an engine crew aggressively attacked the fire, a second engine crew and an ambulance crew searched inside the home to make sure everyone was safe. After a thorough search, no occupants or animals were located, Costa said.

Meanwhile, the ladder truck crew cut holes in the roof to allow smoke and heated gases to flow out.

"An aggressive attack confined the fire to the garage and the attic area of the residence," Costa said. "Although there was significant smoke damage inside the living space of the residence, the fire didn’t extend to the living area. Some of the bedroom doors were closed at the time of the fire, so most contents in those bedrooms were spared."

Rancho Adobe Fire and Sonoma Valley Fire handled multiple other incidents while Petaluma resources were committed to the fire.

The City of Petaluma Building Department red-tagged the entire home because electricity and gas were disconnected until repairs are made. A family of four was displaced from the home and is planning on staying at a local hotel for the foreseeable future.

"Petaluma Fire would like to remind our constituents that closing bedroom doors and ensuring your smoke detectors are working properly saves lives and can reduce the overall damage caused by a fire," Costa said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Total damage was estimated at $200,000.

No firefighters or residents were injured during the incident.

"Firefighters did an amazing job confining this fire to the garage and attic area of the residence," Costa said. "Although the family of four will not be able to reside in the residence, the majority of their memorabilia, clothing, and other important items were spared."