Petaluma apartment complex, vehicles engulfed by flames; Residents flee to safety

PETALUMA -- A massive fireball consumed five vehicles and engulfed a two-story Petaluma apartment complex in flames late Thursday night.

Officials said crews responded to reports of fire at the complex in the 100 block of Graylawn Ave. at around 11:36 p.m.

Arriving within three minutes, the crews found a two-story apartment complex with heavy fire coming from the first-floor covered parking area. There was a total of five vehicles on fire, which extended to the exterior of the building and the second-floor apartments.

Crews worked quickly to extinguish the fire, evacuate the apartments, and search for anyone trapped inside. Fortunately, 15 residents were able to flee the flames.

A Sonoma County fire investigator was on the scene attempting to determine the cause of the fire. The complex has been red-tagged as uninhabitable.