East Petaluma house burns in early morning fire

A neighbor who noticed a fire at an southeast Petaluma home early Tuesday pounded on the front door and awakened the sleeping family allowing them to escape, said a Petaluma fire official.

Firefighters were called at 5:24 a.m. and arrived in six minutes at the home on Albert Way. They found flames in the garage attic but the fire’s spread was stalled by water from garden hoses used by the residents and the neighbor, said Petaluma Battalion Chief Jeff Holden.

Holden estimated the damage at $10,000.

The house had no working smoke detector and Holden credited the neighbor with the family’s safe exit. The fire initially was reported by a passerby who called 911 but didn’t stop.

It started in a recycling bin, and burned up a nearby garage wall and into the attic. “Another five minutes and it would have burned the roof off the garage,” Holden said.

While the investigation into the cause was ongoing, Holden said two possibilities were a smoldering cigarette or staining materials in the recycling bin.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.