A two-story home on Susan Lane in Penngrove was destroyed yesterday afternoon after a fire escalated to a second alarm, drawing about 60 firefighters from six agencies who managed to keep the flames from spreading into the surrounding wildland. No injuries were reported, and the residents told firefighters that no one was inside when crews arrived.
Sonoma County Fire District crews were dispatched around 2:50 p.m. yesterday to the 1400 block of Susan Lane after multiple callers reported a residential structure fire, according to The Press Democrat. Crews arrived about seven minutes later and found thick black smoke pouring from a heavily involved two-story home. The fire was declared under control by about 4:45 p.m.
The blaze was escalated to a second alarm as crews worked to keep it from jumping into nearby wildland, a threat that shaped much of the response. Sonoma County Fire District received assistance from Sonoma Valley Fire Protection District, Petaluma Fire Department, Rohnert Park Fire Department, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, Santa Rosa Fire Department, CAL FIRE, and the U.S. Coast Guard, per the same account. CAL FIRE sent additional resources, including aircraft, to help guard against the fire escaping into the rural terrain that borders many Penngrove properties.
Family of Six Displaced, Cause Still Unknown
The displaced family includes two adults and multiple children, and the American Red Cross was requested to help them find shelter. The Red Cross’s Northern California Coastal Region responds to a local emergency, most often a house fire, on average every 18 hours, offering displaced residents immediate food, clothing, and financial assistance along with longer-term housing and mental health support, according to the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region…