4 People, Pets Escape Petaluma Duplex Fire After Smoke Alarms Fail: FD

PETALUMA, CA — Four people made it out of a Petaluma duplex with their pets Sunday after a fire erupted inside the two-story home and quickly spread toward the attic, fire officials said.

Crews were dispatched to Park Place Drive shortly after 4:30 p.m. and arrived to find the first floor engulfed in flames, according to the Petaluma Fire Department.

The fire did not remain contained to the interior. Flames moved along the outside of the building before reaching the attic, while a neighboring unit and another duplex nearby were exposed to the blaze, officials said.

Firefighters knocked down the fire in around 20 minutes. Crews from the Petaluma Fire Department, Sonoma County Fire District and Gold Ridge Fire Protection District helped evacuate residents, attack the flames and protect the surrounding properties.

Firefighters said they also rescued a cat and two geckos from the property.

The residents were not alerted by smoke alarms because the alarms inside the home were not operational, according to fire officials.

Both units in the duplex were deemed unsafe to occupy because of the extent of the fire, smoke and structural damage. The American Red Cross is helping residents who were forced from their homes.

A firefighter sustained a minor back sprain while responding to the fire.

Investigators have not determined what caused the blaze.

The cause remains under investigation.