Dog rescued after Santa Rosa apartment fire that displaces 4 residents

Four residents were displaced Thursday morning after a fire damaged their northern Santa Rosa apartment.

Luis Ramos said he left the two-story unit in the 800 block of Russell Avenue for work around 7:30 a.m. but went back to grab his wallet and “out of nowhere I heard a loud boom.”

“I started to smell smoke,” Ramos, 31, told a Press Democrat reporter.

He went upstairs and found black smoke and flames spreading along the floor. He called 911.

“It just happened so fast,” he said.

The rest of his family wasn’t home but their dog, a Yorkie named Ozzie, was missing. Ramos hoped he had run from the fire.

Santa Rosa firefighters responded and contained the flames to an upstairs bedroom in about 20 minutes. Smoke and heat damaged the rest of the apartment, including the attic, Division Chief Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ramos said as firefighters cut holes in the apartment’s roof for ventilation. “I’m pretty sure we can’t go back home.”

Ramos said he and his family, including his mother and sister, have lived in the apartment for about seven years.

About 35 minutes after the fire was reported, a firefighter walked out with Ozzie shaking in his arms. He found the Yorkie hiding under a couch.

Lowenthal said no one was injured.

Neighbor Noelle Jesussaid she heard the boom that morning and that her son had tried to help put out the flames.

He went into the apartment with a T-shirt wrapped around his face and a fire extinguisher but found the smoke was too thick.

“There is no way he would have made it up the stairs without passing out,” said Jesus, 46.

So, they stepped out and waited for firefighters to handle the flames.

“It’s devastating but the good news is they found that dog,” she said.

Lowenthal said a candle on a dresser caused the fire.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.