Crews battle house fire in rural area

<p>Fire burned a cabin on Mountain Home Ranch Road Tuesday, but recent clearing of brush in the area saved the ranch from further damage, said owner Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>“It’s what saved the entire mountain because it wasn’t able to spread,” said Suzanne Pasky-Fouts, who owns the ranch with her husband, John Fouts.</p><p>Tuesday’s high heat, low humidity and dangerous winds had fire officials already on alert for a possible bad day.</p><p>State forestry officials sent a full contingent of equipment and air power to the fire, first reported at about 9:50 a.m. Cal Fire was aided by Calistoga firefighters, Rincon Valley and Santa Rosa firefighters.</p><p>Cause of the fire was not known.</p><p>The log cabin was a rental on the long-time ranch and resort, owned since 1913 by the Fouts family, said Pasky-Fouts.</p><p>“We came running and saw the house was totally involved,” she said. They called for help and along with neighbors and workers tried to put out the blaze with hoses.</p><p>Several fire engines, air tankers and helicopters rushed to the fire, on Mountain Home Ranch Road.</p><p>Thick black smoke from the fire was visible in downtown Santa Rosa.</p><p>Mountain Home Ranch Road is north of Santa Rosa, off of Petrified Forest Road. </p><p>“It’s sad because it’s a complete loss...” she said, of the two-bedroom, two-bath cabin. But she was grateful for the efforts of firefighters and that the work had been done to clear the area around the cabin of brush to improve fire safety.</p><p>She said the mountain is known to be a high fire danger area and the ranch has burned twice in the past. </p><p>Pasky-Fouts said efforts are underway by family and workers to become volunteer firefighters.</p>