Cotati Fire Displaces Four

A one-alarm fire gutted a home in Cotati on Sunday night, displacing four people, a Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District captain said.

The blaze was reported at about 10:30 p.m. at a house in the 8400 block of Lakewood Avenue. Fire Capt. Mike Weihman said the fire appeared to have started in the living room area and spread to the attic, where it was fed by a gas line.

By the time firefighters arrived, much of the house was burning, and crews worked to keep the flames from spreading to neighboring homes, he said. Firefighters managed to shut off the gas line, and controlled the blaze in about 45 minutes.

Weihman estimated damage to the home at $200,000. "The house is almost a total loss," he said. No injuries were reported, and no other homes were damaged. He said four young adults who lived at the home have been displaced.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Weihman said it appears to have been accidental.

The response included firefighters from the Rohnert Park and Petaluma fire departments, the Rincon Valley Fire District and the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

From Bay City News Services