Fire burns southwest Santa Rosa home, kills 3 dogs

Firefighters Wednesday sought the cause of Tuesday's Todd Road house fire that destroyed the small home and killed three family dogs trapped inside.

The 10:15 a.m. blaze started in the back of the home, likely in the laundryroom and then spread throughout the estimated 1,000-square-foot house, Santa Rosa fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque said Wednesday.

Basque arrived first and found fire throughout the home and flames threatening two nearby structures - a main home on the rural property and a granny unit.

Residents had gotten out but not the dogs. Basque spoke to one distraught resident who'd not been able to get to his dogs.

“He couldn't get his pets. He took in some smoke, singed his hair. He refused medical care and was more concerned about his animals,” Basque said.

One dog had escaped unharmed, he said.

After the fire was out, firefighters combed through the burned remains and found the dogs' remains in two different rooms.

As well as the loss of the home, the contents were destroyed and Basque estimated the loss at $100,000. Three adults and a child had been living there and were being given temporary housing aid from the Red Cross.

Several firefighting agencies responded due to the threat to additional homes.

The fire was in the 1300 block of Todd Road, near Phillips Avenue and Llano Road, south west of Santa Rosa.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @rossmannreport.