The Grove Street apartment fire at the north end of town was reported about 5:30 p.m. and led to the evacuation of the nine‑unit building at the Oak Grove Apartment complex.
Arriving firefighters went into a ground‑floor apartment and found it full of smoke, but thermal imaging equipment helped them spot two small dogs, which were carried to safety, Chief Jason Boaz said.
When the apartment residents arrived, after getting word of a fire at their home, they found the dogs out and safe but told firefighters there still were two parakeets inside. Firefighters retrieved the birds and all of the animals were unharmed, said Linda Collister, city fire marshal.
Firefighters doused the flames, ventilated the apartment and moved personal property out to reduce smoke damage.
Damage was kept to the kitchen and estimated at $50,000, said Boaz, who credited the room’s single overhead sprinkler with making the initial difference between a small fire and what could have been a serious apartment building fire. Residents in the building’s other apartments were allowed home once firefighters were done.
A preliminary investigation pointed to the toaster, which was not in use at the time of the fire, as the likely cause.
Aiding Healdsburg firefighters were Cal Fire, Sonoma County, Geyserville and Cloverdale fire agencies.
