Firefighters Rescue 4 Dogs From Apartment Fire In Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, CA — Firefighters rescued four dogs from an apartment fire Wednesday night, two of whom were unconscious from smoke inhalation, the Santa Rosa Fire Department said.

A fire alarm sounded at 7:30 p.m. at a fourplex in the 2400 block of Plata Court, and a witness called dispatchers and said the windows of one of the units were "glowing and turning brown from smoke," according to Santa Rosa Fire Department Battalion Chief Matt Gloeckner.

The first engine crew was at the scene within 4 minutes to hear the fire alarm still sounding.

Heavy smoke was coming from one of the units but the doors were locked and no one answered the door, Gloeckner said.

Just as firefighters were about to force entry, the residents came home and unlocked the door.

When the residents told firefighters their four dogs were still inside, crews "initiated an aggressive interior fire attack," Gloeckner said.

The first and second floors of the apartment were heavy with smoke, and firefighters put out a well-established fire burning in the kitchen.

No people or pets were found in a search of the first floor of the apartment but when crews checked the second floor they found four dogs, two of whom were unconscious from smoke inhalation.

"Once outside fire crews used specialized pet oxygen resuscitation masks to revive the two unconscious dogs," Gloeckner said. "After a few minutes of resuscitation, the dogs became responsive and were turned back over to their owners."

Fire investigators determined the blaze was caused by food left cooking unattended on the stove, Gloeckner said.

The residents said they left for about 20 minutes to run some errands; when they got home the fire department was at their door.

The loss was estimated at $50,000, with major damage to the kitchen and moderate smoke damage to the rest of the apartment.

The apartment was deemed uninhabitable. Fortunately, the residents found somewhere to stay for the time being, Gloeckner said.