Oven fire drives Petaluma family out of home

An oven fire at a Petaluma home caused some temporary fright on Saturday when a mother trying to escape with her two children and an older, disabled adult was unable to get the other woman into her wheelchair.

The family’s Natalie Circle home was filling with smoke as the disabled woman remained trapped inside, Battalion Chief Chad Costa said. At the same time, the Petaluma Fire Department had crews deployed to three medical emergencies and was delayed in responding to the fire, he said.

But Petaluma police officers were available, as were firefighters from Rancho Adobe, Cal Fire and North Bay fire agencies, Costa said.?When Costa arrived at the scene, police officers “were running toward the house and went right in,” he said.

All the residents were safely evacuated, and the fire was contained to the oven, which had to be removed, causing about $2,000 in smoke and fire damage, he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.