​Fire Engulfs Barn Full Of Vehicles In Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, CA — A fire engulfed a barn containing vehicles Sunday in Santa Rosa, the fire department said.

At about 11:17 a.m., Santa Rosa Fire began receiving multiple calls about black smoke coming from a building near the Joe Rodota Trail.

Firefighters arrived at 315 Roberts Ave. and discovered a wood framed, steel barn "fully involved" in fire and structurally compromised, the department said. The building was being used to store cars and RVs.

Hampering the firefighters' job were live power lines that had fallen from the building, Santa Rosa Fire said. Nevertheless, the blaze was extinguished in about 20 minutes with the aid of four engines and 23 fire personnel.

A search of the building yielded no victims. The fire department said that there was a "heavy" presence of unhoused activity in and around the building, but no one was hurt. A firefighter did sustain a minor injury, but was treated and released from the hospital.

The blaze shut down Sebastopol Road between Dutton Avenue and the railroad tracks while firefighters tackled it.

Santa Rosa Fire estimates the cost of the damage to the property to be about $185,000.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, though the department suspects it originated inside the barn in an area being used by an unhoused resident.

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