Tragedy averted in fire at senior facility near Healdsburg thanks to boy’s quick reaction, officials say

Carlos Matos looked up from the rice he was eating Sunday evening at the Magnolia Manor senior care facility near Healdsburg and saw smoke curling up from the stovetop.

The 10-year-old alerted his mother, Liz Matos, the facility administrator, that something was wrong with the oven. Flames then started shooting out of the broiler. Carlos said the fire extinguisher didn’t work, so he called 911.

Liz Matos and arriving Healdsburg police officers helped rescue several residents inside the facility as more help was requested.

Soon, the fire was big enough to send smoke billowing over nearby Highway 101. It drew a heavy firefighting response, with numerous engines and water tankers arriving even as firefighters started sawing sections of the roof to air out the structure.

After the fire was contained, Linda Collister, the Healdsburg fire marshal, gestured to where Carlos was walking around, talking to family and firefighters. He was shoeless due to his haste and covered in hair from one of the dogs that was rescued from the building.

“He’s kind of a hero,” Collister said. “It could have been bad. … The fire spread pretty quickly.”

Officials said nobody was seriously injured in the fire, though several residents received medical attention afterward from paramedics. Several animals present appeared to have escaped, including a Chihuahua that Carlos toted around, but at least one dog wasn’t seen after vanishing into a nearby vineyard.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville estimated the damage at about $200,000.

Both he and Collister said the senior care facility didn’t appear to have a sprinkler system. Collister said the Brandt Insurance building in downtown Healdsburg was saved by its working sprinkler system in a Thanksgiving Day fire.

The cause of fire, which left the building uninhabitable, was still under investigation, Collister said. Red Cross was called out to assist the displaced residents.