String Of Suspicious Fires Investigated In Sonoma County Town: Police

PETALUMA, CA — The police and fire departments are investigating several suspicious fires that have occurred in the downtown area since Wednesday.

Police first found a fully engulfed, abandoned RV at around 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday. The Petaluma Fire Department extinguished the blaze, and an arson investigator is determining if the fire was intentionally set.

On Thursday, two more fire incidents were reported. At around 1:03 a.m., officers responded to the area near Grocery Outlet for a small brush fire along the river embankment, which an unknown suspect is believed to have started. No property damage was reported.

At 1:33 a.m., police were called to the 400 block of North Water Street for a report of another small vegetation fire, which is also believed to have been intentionally set, police said

All of these incidents occurred within the downtown area and remain under active investigation. Officers are reviewing available surveillance footage as part of the follow-up.

"Sonoma County has already experienced devastating losses to fires in previous years — we don’t need any more," police said. “Even small fires can escalate quickly and cause significant harm. Intentionally setting fires to anything poses a serious risk to public safety, property, and emergency resources.”