Fire Department 
FIRE INVESTIGATION
The Petaluma Fire Department provides full time, professional fire investigation services available 24/7. Our Fire Investigators are trained and certified by the California State Fire Marshal’s Office as well as other State and National professional fire investigation organizations. All fires are investigated for origin and cause determination.
The primary purpose of the Fire Investigators is the investigation of all fires to determine if their cause is accidental or if they are intentionally set, suspicious fires, unlawful fires, attempted arson, fires causing a serious injury or death, and possession or use of fireworks, incendiary devices, and explosives.
The duties and responsibilities Fire Investigators include: conducting interviews of suspects, victims and witnesses; sifting through fire debris to determine the origin of the fire; identifying possible ignition sources; collect and preserve physical evidence; document the fire scene with sketches and photographs; prepare search warrants; prepare criminal fire offense cases for submittal to the District Attorney’s Office; give expert witness testimony and present evidence in court; and instruct fire and police personnel on fire and arson investigation procedures.
In addition to our own Fire Investigators, Petaluma Fire Department is a member of the Sonoma County Fire Investigation Task Force. This task force is a cooperative of fire investigators county-wide who share expertise and resources during large fire investigations that exceed a single department’s resources or as assistance for smaller volunteer fire departments with limited investigation expertise.
HAVE YOU SUFFERED A FIRE LOSS?
If you have suffered a fire loss and would like a copy of the fire investigation report for records or insurance purposes, please call (707)778-4389. There is a $15.00 fee for each copy of the report.
For additional information on how to recover from a fire loss, please see our “After the Fire” bulletin or refer to the U.S. Fire Administration website.
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Contact Information
Larry B. Anderson, Fire ChiefJeff Schach,
Battalion Chief - Administration & EMS Division
Cary Fergus
Fire Marshal
Phil Sutsos,
Battalion Chief - Support Services Division
Jeff Holden,
Battalion Chief - Operations & Training
Russ Rasmussen,
Battalion Chief - Communications & Technology
Petaluma Fire Department Location:
198 ‘D’ St.
Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 707.778.4390
alternative emergency phone:
707.762.4545
fax: 707.762.4547
email:
firedept@ci.petaluma.ca.us
Fire Prevention Bureau Location:
22 Bassett Street
Cary Fergus
Fire Marshal
phone: 707.778.4389
fax: 707.776.3642
mailing address:
11 English Street
Petaluma, CA 94952