Woman, 67, killed in Santa Rosa mobile home fire

A woman was killed Sunday afternoon when fire engulfed her Santa Rosa mobile home.

The blaze in the Santa Rosa Mobile Estates spread so rapidly that by the time firefighters arrived, they had no hope of rescuing anyone trapped inside the home, Santa Rosa Battalion Chief Mark Basque said.

The fire was reported around 12:30 p.m. in the park on Brooks Avenue off East Robles Avenue just outside city limits. The park has about 120 mobile homes, some in poor condition.

Joe Giordani, battalion chief of the Rincon Valley Fire Protection District, confirmed there was a single fatality. The woman's husband and her son escaped the flames, but by the time they realized she remained inside they were unable to get her out, Giodani said.

Giodani did not release the woman's name, but neighbors identified her as Elizabeth Stamp, 67.

Photos and videos taken by residents showed the flames enveloping the home and a column of smoke soaring hundreds of feet into the stiflingly hot air.

Eloiza Ambriz, 20, who lives across the street from the park, said she and family members had been trying to stay cool in a kiddie pool as the temperatures approached 100 degrees when she spotted the smoke.

“It was already huge,” Ambriz said of the fire. Her family members used a garden hose to wet the fence and landscaping near the fire, hoping to prevent its spread, she said.

Firefighters were able to keep the fire mostly contained to the single unit although the flames scorched the neighboring mobile homes causing minor damage.

The exterior of Tonia Robinson's unit suffered minor damage.

She and other residents described the home a place from which homeless people came and went on a regular basis, with piles of bicycle parts strewn everywhere. Complaints to the management company went unheeded, said Chris Soeters.

“There were so many complaints made about these people over the year and there was never a darn thing done about it,” Soeters said.

Resident Melissa Miller said as her family watch the flames, they heard a number of loud popping sounds that made them run inside, worried there might be ammunition exploding. Word spread very quickly that her neighbor apparently was still inside.

“It made me very sad,” Miller said. “This is an unforgettable day.”

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 707-521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @srcitybeat.