Fire scorches edge of historic Penngrove property

Fire scorched a section of hillside on the border of Petaluma and Penngrove Tuesday morning, with flames licking the edges of a vineyard on the property.

Firefighters from the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District quickly doused the flames, which burned up a patch of tall grasses and singed the edges of approximately four grapevines after starting at around 7:30 a.m., said Rancho Adobe Battalion Chief Herb Wandel. The property was formerly the home of Eagle Ridge Winery, and features a historic hilltop Victorian clearly visible from Old Redwood Highway.

The cause was unknown, Wandel said, but common culprits for fires of that nature include cigarette butts, hot ejecta from travelling cars and power lines.

The fire spread relatively quickly by climbing up the tall grasses on the face of the hillside, he said. It was a faster-than-average rate of spread for a time of day when grasses are relatively moist, a sign of a dry and potentially busy day to come.

Firefighters from the Petaluma Fire Department also arrived on scene to aid with fully tamping down the charred hillside.

(Contact Eric Gneckow at eric.gneckow@arguscourier.com. On Twitter @Eric_Reports)