Chemicals suspected to blame in Santa Rosa tile shop fire

Fire investigators are investigating whether chemicals used at a formica manufacturer heated up enough to ignite a blaze that damaged the Piner Road shop, fire officials said Wednesday.

The shop had just acquired a new cover for a machine, which may also have been a contributing factor, Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

The fire was reported about 9:35 p.m. Tuesday at John’s Formica Shop on Piner near Fulton Road.

Firefighters forced their way through the gates and found heavy smoke pouring out of vents and pipes toward the rear of the single-story warehouse, Basque said.

They forced open a door and found fire burning in a production area with equipment and materials used to fabricate synthetic countertops, shower stalls and sinks.

Firefighters controlled the fire within 30 minutes, the battalion chief said. Smoke and heat caused most of the damage, estimated around $100,000, Basque said. The building’s structure, once an old plum drying warehouse, is mostly masonry and concrete and was only moderately affected by the smoke and fire, he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.