6 Displaced, Firefighter Injured In Petaluma Retirement Community Fire

PETALUMA, CA — At least six people were displaced and a firefighter was injured Wednesday when a fire broke out in a multi-unit residential building for senior citizens.

The Petaluma Fire Department dispatched crews at 2:09 p.m. Wednesday to a fire alarm at Valley Orchards Retirement Community, 2100 E. Washington St., but the incident was quickly upgraded to a structure fire when residents reported there was smoke in the building.

When the first engine crew got to the scene, residents were evacuating the building, Petaluma FD Battalion Chief Mike Medeiros said.

As firefighters entered the building there was smoke in one of the upstairs hallways and they found a fire burning inside a wall. The fire had traveled up and into the attic space, and activated the sprinkler system, Medeiros said.

Crews worked quickly to finish putting out the fire before it spread to additional units.

Additional firefighters worked to help more residents evacuate the area nearest to where the fire occurred.

There were no injuries to residents, but one firefighter suffered minor injuries from falling sheetrock.

The City of Petaluma Building Department red-tagged some of the residences as uninhabitable because of the fire damage. Other units were yellow-tagged, meaning the residents were provided limited access but the units would be inhabitable once the damage was remediated, Medeiros said.

The Red Cross responded to assist the displaced residents.

"Estimated damages are $150,000, with likely millions of dollars saved in regards to the structure, but an infinite amount in regards to the lives that were saved," Medeiros said.

Investigators were still working to determine the cause of the fire.

The firefighter injured during the incident was treated at the scene and was doing well Thursday, Medeiros told Patch.

The Petaluma Fire Department thanked its surrounding partners, including Rancho Adobe Fire, for their assistance at the incident and in providing station coverage to protect the city.

"Additionally, the Petaluma Fire Department would like to take this time to emphasize how important it is to have fire alarms and sprinklers installed in structures," Medeiros said. "In an emergency such as this one, having these systems not only saved lives and allows residents more time to escape, but helps keep fire from rapidly spreading and causing significant damage."

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report.