Former Santa Rosa senior center destroyed by 2-alarm fire

SANTA ROSA -- A 2-alam fire erupted inside the building that once housed the Bennett Valley Senior Center in Santa Rosa early Thursday, gutting the structure before the flames were extinguished.

The Santa Rosa Fire Department said its dispatchers got reports of a roof fire at the building located at 704 Bennett Valley Road at around 4:37 a.m.

Arriving units discovered heavy fire coming from the roof in the middle of the building.  Firefighters were challenged in fighting the blaze because the building was boarded up and surrounded by construction fencing.

A second alarm was requested. Ultimately, 33 firefighters were on scene.

Firefighters initiated a defensive attack due to the age and condition of the building and the amount of fire coming from the attic.

Once the fire was knocked down, crews entered the building and searched for possible occupants. No occupants were found.

There were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire remain under investigation.