Four suspicious fires put out in Santa Rosa

Four small suspicious fires broke out Monday in west Santa Rosa at a local market, an apartment complex and near a PG-E substation.

Santa Rosa police and fire officers are investigating the fires, which burned two dumpsters and two spots of grass, said Battalion Chief Mike Jones.

The Piner Road area was the site of numerous suspicious fires last spring.

On Monday, firefighters were called to the Rancho Mendoza supermarket at about 2:40 p.m. They found a small dumpster fire behind the business. Surveillance camera footage showed a person standing at the dumpster with flames beginning to show, Jones said.

At 4:01 p.m. firefighters were called back to the Piner Road area, this time several blocks away to the Bay Village apartments for another dumpster fire. The flames scorched some nearby trees, but otherwise damage was limited.

At 4:19 p.m. they were called to two small fires at Ridley Avenue and Guerneville Road. The fires were in dry grass near a PG-E substation, Jones said.

Jones called the four fires suspicious due to their close locations and timing.