Fire threatens wildland in north San Rafael

Firefighters extinguished a fire on Monday night that threatened to engulf nearby open space, a fire official said.

Robert Sinnott, deputy chief with the San Rafael Fire Department, said crews confronted a fully involved outbuilding at 144 Garden Ave. at about 11:43 p.m.

The shed was about 160 square feet and occupied by a resident, who escaped without injuries.

Sinnott said the shed burned intensely due to a large amount of combustibles inside. The fire was accidental and likely caused by an unattended heat source, such as a space heater or stove, which was attached to an extension cord plugged in the main house.

“What made this fire challenging is that it was the last property at the top of this street adjacent to the wildland area,” Sinnott said.

“We were very fortunate that the temperatures were mild and winds were calm,” he said. “This, along with quick work by fire crews, prevented this incident from escalating into rapidly spreading wildfire into the San Pedro Ridge open space area.”

Six engines, a ladder truck, a paramedic ambulance and two battalion chiefs responded.

Firefighters stretched numerous hose lines around the main home to ensure the fire did not spread to the wildland or other structures.

The fire was brought under control in 30 minutes and the scene was overhauled in about three hours, Sinnott said.

It was the second fire in the city to threaten open space in the last two months.

On June 6, a late-night vegetation fire burned 2 acres and prompted home evacuations.

The fire in the Dominican-Black Canyon neighborhood was reported at 9:50 p.m. in a eucalyptus grove on a steep hillside between Deer Park Avenue and Highland Avenue.

The homes there were threatened, but not damaged, fire officials said. The nearby Dominican University campus was not evacuated.

The cause of the fire was undetermined, the department said.