Pancake breakfast to aid volunteer firefighters who lost homes to Sonoma County fires

October's catastrophic firestorms took the homes of 13 volunteers with Sonoma County's volunteer fire companies and peers countywide will hold a pancake breakfast this Sunday, March 25 to help them.

The 13 homes were in Knights Valley and Mountain fire company areas decimated by the Tubbs fire, and in the Mayacamas fire company jurisdiction above Sonoma Valley, devastated by the Nuns fire.

Among the victims were Knights Valley Chief Augie Grube and Mayacamas Chief Will Horne, both longtime chiefs who lost their homes as they fought fires and helped residents evacuate. Horne moved out of county after the fire and has retired. Grube also is retiring as chief.

Sonoma County has 11 volunteer fire companies, most of them suffering from too few volunteers and a lack of funding. Pancake breakfasts for decades have been a staple fundraiser for the individual bands of community firefighters. Sunday members of the 11 agencies will work together, creating a bigger venue and show of support, said Wilmar volunteer Fire Chief Mike Mickelson.

The pancake breakfast will be 8-11:30 a.m. at the Wilmar Volunteer firehouse, 3825 Bodega Avenue in Petaluma. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Parking will be available at Wilson School, next to the fire house.

Money raised will be divvied up between the 13 victims, Mickelson said.

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