Stony Point ranch destroyed

Blackened framing and white ash were all that were left of a rural Santa Rosa ranch after a fast-moving fire ripped across the Stony Point Road property Tuesday afternoon.

A house, cottage, two barns and other outbuildings burned in the blaze, and the dark smoke could be seen from Rohnert Park, Sebastopol and downtown Santa Rosa.

Owner Rob Silvey said he was cutting tall brush with a tractor when he hit a guy-wire tethering a PG&E pole to the ground. The impact caused the power lines above to connect and spark.

"I looked back and saw the flames, and thought, 'Christ, I've got to call the fire department,' " he said.

The fire was one of several that sent smoke into Sonoma County skies Tuesday, a day of high temperatures and low humidity.

Olga Vallarino, owner of a rental home on Stony Point Road near Silvey's property, spotted the smoke about 1 p.m. and jumped in her car to check on her property.

"You wouldn't think it would spread, but the wind is strong and you don't take any chances," she said.

Shortly after, Bennett Valley residents reported a fire on their ridge. The report turned out to be a false alarm, said Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Andy Pforsich.

"They reported smoke in the area of the the top of the ridge, but it was coming from our (Stony Point) fire," he said. "This time of year, people are sure that the fire is racing towards them."

A red-flag fire danger warning has been in place for several days and was expected to last until this morning, when conditions should be damp and cooler, said Steve Anderson, National Weather Service meteorologist.

"There were very dry conditions out there, and very low humidity," he said.

According to the National Weather Service, Santa Rosa baked at 93 degrees, 8 degrees higher than the average for this time of year.

The warm weather made for a long day for firefighters countywide as they bounced from one call to another.

Most concerned small brush fires quickly brought under control.

Six brush fires burned briefly Monday night in Windsor, Santa Rosa and Forestville, the result of arson, Windsor Fire Chief Ron Collier said.

But fire also damaged some structures in addition to the Stony Point Road ranch.

A cabin burned on Mountain Home Ranch Road between Santa Rosa and Calistoga just before 10 a.m., and a Rincon Valley mobile home was damaged by fire at 10:35 a.m.

A neighbor in the Brookwood mobile home park on Montecito Boulevard spotted smoke wafting out of the mobile home's skirting about a half hour after the occupant had left, Pforsich said. Faulty aluminum wiring, common in mobile homes built before 1971, is believed to be the cause.

The Red Cross is assisting that resident with food and clothing and is also providing Rob and Susan Silvey with three nights' lodging, food and clothing, said local Red Cross spokeswoman, Ellen Miremonte Silver.

The fire at the Silveys' Stony Point Road property closed the street between Millbrae and Wilfred avenues while fire crews from Santa Rosa, Rincon Valley, Cal Fire and Rohnert Park fought the 2½-acre, seven-structure fire for about two hours.

The estimated loss was $500,000 in belongings and $500,000 to $600,000 in structures, said Lantz.

"We don't have anything. We lost everything," Susan Silvey said. "We don't even have ID."

You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat.com.