Tar kettle fire at Deer Creek Village

Smoke plumed over the Deer Creek Village shopping center on Wednesday after tar kettle used in the roofing of the new buildings caught fire.

The Petaluma Fire Department arrived shortly after noon to find the kettle and the tar aflame, sending a tower of thick smoke into the air. The fire burned so hot, it fully engulfed the trailer on which the kettle was sitting. None of the buildings, all of which are still under construction, were marred, although four nearby port-o-potties were damaged by the radiant heat.

The damage was estimated at $6,000.