Sprinklers, firefighters save Petaluma Creamery from flames

Staff at Petaluma Creamery on Western Avenue said they smelled smoke shortly before the historic building’s fire sprinkler system sent water cascading from the ceiling Monday evening. The 911 call came in at 7:09 p.m. on Dec. 7, and it took the Petaluma Fire Department no more than 5 minutes to race to the scene.

While the sprinklers did a serviceable job of dampening the blaze, firefighters found a few additional flames flickering in the attic space, above a decommissioned boiler. The entire fire was extinguished in about 15 minutes, according to Chad Costa, battalion chief at the Petaluma Fire Department. To ensure all hot spots were cooled off, the ladder truck was used to remove a 15-foot-by-15-foot section of the damaged roof.

Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the blaze, which caused an estimated $25,000 in damage. But a Petaluma Creamery employee said it hasn’t hampered business. While the fire was at a production building at 621 Western Ave., the Creamery Store at 711 Western Ave. is bustling with holiday shoppers.

This story has been updated with the correct date of the fire.