Homeowner suffers 2nd-degree burns from Graton house fire that started in fireplace, fire chief says

A Graton home was destroyed Thursday night after its owner started a fire in his living room fireplace and it “got away from him,” a fire chief said Friday.

Flames caused major damage to the home’s living room and carport, and officials red-tagged the property off Highway 116, north of Frei Road, Graton Fire Chief Bill Bullard said. Damage was so severe, he said, two firefighters fell 3 to 4 feet through the floor.

“The floor is compromised through many sections of the house,” Bullard said. “It’s definitely something you cannot walk into safely.”

The fire was contained just before 6:30 p.m. Thursday, and Bullard estimated it caused upward of $500,000 in damage.

The homeowner was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation before being taken to an unspecified hospital for second-degree burns to his hands and legs.

He was the only person home when the fire started and evacuated when it got out of control, officials said.

Bullard couldn’t verify the man’s name, but the fire was on the known property of John Jenkel, a local activist who more than a decade ago was at the center of a well-documented land dispute.

It wasn’t immediately clear where the property owner was taken for treatment and they couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

No firefighters were present Friday and the damage wasn’t visible since the home is several yards off the highway and blocked by trees.

Area residents said they were familiar with Jenkel but rarely saw him in recent months.

The fire was reported just before 6 p.m. Thursday when a passerby enered the Graton Fire Station and reported smoke and flames coming from the property.

Training was set for 6 p.m. and “a very full station” allowed a quick response with three engines on scene within three minutes, Bullard said.

“What we found was a very well-involved fire,” he said.

The Sonoma County Fire District, Sebastopol Fire Department, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and Occidental Fire Department also responded. California Highway Patrol officers, Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies and Caltrans crews also were present.

Unrelated to the fire, a Graton fire captain suffered a broken arm after he tripped on uneven ground outside the home. He’s been with the department 24 years and is now out indefinitely.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi