Investigation underway for blaze at Santa Rosa apartment development

A fire at a partially-built, central Santa Rosa apartment complex Friday evening caused $30,000 worth of damage before firefighters were able to put out the blaze.

The cause of the fire, which was reported just past 6 p.m. at the Pullman Lofts development near Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square, remained under investigation, though an initial review of the blaze indicates the fire was accidental, a Santa Rosa Fire Department news release said.

Damage to the apartment complex, a 50-unit development that was in the framing stage, would have been worse had fire crews not responded so quickly, the agency said.

Santa Rosa firefighters arrived within four minutes of the first report of the blaze, which was located on the south side of the complex at the corner of Wilson and West Ninth streets, fire officials said.

Once inside, crews found the blaze in a hallway and apartment unit on the first floor of the development, though the fire was starting to extend to the second floor of the building as well, the agency said. Heavy smoke spilled out from windows and doors on the first and second floors.

Firefighters doused the fire using multiple hoses before they were able to contain and then extinguish the fire, the news release said.

The development, which broke ground in March, is run by Phoenix Development Co. LLC. A call to the company Saturday morning requesting an interview was not immediately returned.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.