Early Morning Fire Damages Santa Rosa Rite Aid Store
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF/BCN) -- A fire ignited in a debris pile outside of a Rite Aid pharmacy in Santa Rosa early Wednesday morning, spreading into the building and causing an estimated $200,000 in damage.
Santa Rosa fire officials said the blaze was reported at 12:04 a.m. at the store located at 955 Stony Point Road.
When crews arrived, they found a pile of wood pallets and other debris burning against the back corner of the store. Heat from the blaze had shattered the exterior glass windows and doors, allowing flames to spread into the building's rear storage area.
The flames also spread to the gas meter, igniting an intense natural gas fire that firefighters were eventually able to extinguish with the help of the building's fire sprinkler system.
The store was closed at the time of the fire and no one was inside the building. Much of the retail area of the store had smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.