Rohnert Park mobile home park fire displaces 3

Three people were displaced Friday morning when a structure fire ignited at a mobile home park in Rohnert Park east of Highway 101 and destroyed a corner unit.

Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the Rancho Grande senior mobile home park in the 10 block of Circulo Lujo following the report of fire from a neighbor just before 10 a.m. A senior man was transported to Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital with injuries from smoke inhalation, while medics at the scene treated a woman and another man also living in the mobile home, fire officials said.

Rohnert Park’s Department of Public Safety, along with a fire engine apiece from the Sonoma County and Santa Rosa fire departments as well as an engine and battalion chief from Rancho Adobe, responded to the fire near the intersection of Snyder Lane and Keiser Avenue, north of Rohnert Park Expressway. Two ambulances with Sonoma County Life Support also were sent, according to fire emergency dispatch.

The homeowner told firefighters he believed the fire started in the mobile home’s bathroom, said Rohnert Park Deputy Chief Mike Bates. Investigators could not begin working toward making a determination on the cause until after crews finished mop-up work to ensure nothing could reignite and reach neighboring units just 10 feet away, he said.

The seniors-only retirement community has more than 300 lots for mobile homes, according to Jeff Beiswenger, the city’s planning manager.

Fire crews arrived to see flames overtake the unit and a large column of heavy smoke escaping from the roof, said Bates. Blocked entry points and low visibility forced firefighters to knock out the home’s windows to clear smoke and battle the blaze from the exterior to protect other nearby housing units once it was confirmed the residents got out.

“Due to the intense heat and smoke, we decided to go defensive to make sure it didn’t spread to other mobile homes,” said Bates. “There was a lot of stuff in there. Every nook and cranny was filled. At least two of the doors were blocked, so we couldn’t gain access.”

Members of the city’s dual police and fire department were still hosing down an assemblage of scorched furniture and personal belongings of the crowded unit late into the morning. Aside from an assortment of chairs and couches, the mobile home housed a functioning hot tub as well as a baby grand piano in front of one of the unit’s doors.

The walls of the mobile home were still intact once firefighters knocked down the fire within a half-hour. The unit was still thought to be a total loss, estimated at $154,000 in addition to the cost of replacing the contents of the home, according to Bates.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin Fixler at 707-521-5336 or kevin.fixler@pressdemocrat.com.