Santa Rosa warehouse fire causes $150,000 damage

Firefighters contained the flames in about 45 minutes early Sunday and left the scene about 2 hours after.|
MADISON SMALSTIG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A fire at a vacant metal warehouse in Santa Rosa Saturday night sent smoke in the air visible a mile away, according to fire officials.

Santa Rosa Fire Department firefighters arrived about 11:50 p.m. in the 1200 block of Central Avenue after receiving multiple calls reporting flames and smoke, according to a news release from the department.

Firefighters contained the flames in about 45 minutes and left the scene about 2 hours after.

The warehouse was vacant but officials found a hole in the fence and items that indicated people had been living in and around the building, said Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Matt Gloeckner.

*Commercial Structure Fire - Central Avenue* At 11:48PM last night, Santa Rosa Fire received multiple calls for a fire in an unknown type of building in the 1200 block of Central Avenue. Smoke was visible from a mile away as firefighters were responding to the location. The first engine arrived in under four minutes and found an abandoned metal warehouse with a large amount of fire visible on the outside of the structure. Additional engines were requested to assist with the fire attack. Firefighters initially fought the fire with high flow hoses from the exterior, then once the fire was under control, they entered the warehouse to search for occupants and finish extinguishing any burning material. The fire was brought under control in 45 minutes. Crews remained on scene for two hours. There were no people inside, however, there was evidence that homeless individuals had been occupying the abandoned building. Due to the extent of the damage, the specific cause of the fire was unable to be determined. The damage to the structure is estimated to be $150,000. RESPONSE: 5 engines, 1 ladder truck, 2 chief officers, 1 fire investigator

Posted by City of Santa Rosa Fire Department on Sunday, January 29, 2023

There were no injuries.

The fire caused about $150,000 in damage to the warehouse.

The circumstances surrounding the fire’s ignition are still being investigated. The exact cause of the fire will likely not be determined due to the extent of the damage, said Santa Rosa Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal.

Officials did not find evidence the fire was set intentionally.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor