FILE: A San Rafael apartment fire in August 2025. Fire officials say loud smoke alarms and quick access for responders can help contain fires before they spread. (Ruth Dusseault/Bay City News)

Firefighters in San Rafael extinguished a house fire this week after a neighbor walking his dog heard multiple fire alarms going off inside the residence, the Fire Department said.  

On Monday just before 2:30 p.m., a man walking his dog on Blossom Drive heard multiple smoke detectors going off inside a home. He went to the front door to investigate but the residents were not home; he texted them and was able to get an access code to the house. He went inside and saw smoke throughout the house and flames near a gas fireplace in the living room. 

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Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.