No one home as fire guts Trinity Road house

<p>Fire ripped through a hillside home overlooking Sonoma Valley early Thursday, destroying a significant portion of it.</p><p>No one was home when neighbors reported the Trinity Road blaze and the cause was undetermined, although it does not appear to be suspicious, said Robert MacIntyre, Sonoma County fire marshal.</p><p>The names of the homeowners were not available. MacIntyre said their primary residence is in San Francisco.</p><p>Firefighters from at least seven agencies responded to the 7:30 a.m. call to find one half of the distinctly shaped structure on fire and with smoke and fire spilling into the other side, said John Franceschi, division chief of the Sonoma Valley Fire Department.</p><p>The home is designed with two soaring, octagonal structures connected by a hallway. The fire began on the side that contained the kitchen, on the opposite side of the bedrooms, according to Franceschi.</p><p>Firefighters from Sonoma Valley, Mayacamas, Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Schell Vista and Santa Rosa responded and trucked water up from the valley floor to fight the blaze.</p><p>Two firefighters were treated for heat-related illness on scene, but did not need further medical assistance.</p><p>Neighbors said the current owners have had the home for about four years and have done extensive work on the unique structure. A pool had been installed and the grounds surrounding the home had manicured flower and vegetable beds.</p><p>The owners had hosted a luncheon to honor the Mayacamas Fire Department in recent years, neighbors said.</p><p>“There is never a good time for something like this to happen, but some times are worse than others,” said neighbor Dennis Roberts, who directed firefighters to the scene on the steep, winding road. “This is no way to start the new year, for sure.”</p>