Firefighters Battle Early Morning Blaze Near Santa Rosa's The Cathedral of St. Eugene
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- Firefighters battled an early Monday morning two-alarm fire that erupted in a building adjacent to the Cathedral of St. Eugene in Santa Rosa.
Fighters said the blaze had been brought under control around 6:30 a.m. in a building immediately adjacent to the Becker Center next to St. Eugene's church property. Video shows the building suffered major damage.
Authorities said they received 911 calls reporting flames on the church property located in the 2300 block of Montgomery Dr. at around 4:25 a.m. Social media video shows flames soaring high over the structures.
The first units arrived in under five minutes and found a large, one-story abandoned building on fire with flames soaring though the roof. All of the windows and doors on the building were boarded closed and secured.
A second alarm was quickly requested due to the intensity of the fire and the obstructions to access the interior.
Firefighters were forced to use power tools to remove the plywood from the window openings and force open the doors. Once inside, they found evidence that transients were occupying the building, but did not find anyone inside. The fire was brought under control in under two hours.
The fire significantly damaged the structure of the building to the point of a possible collapse. City construction equipment and personnel responded and knocked down the hazardous sections of the building so that firefighters could ensure that the fire was completely extinguished.
Damage to the building was estimated to be $400,000 and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
