San Rafael Fire Department – PRESS RELEASE with updates
Abraham Roman, Fire Chief
• Incident Commander (IC): Anthony Alviso, Battalion Chief.
•Date of Incident: Sunday, March 16, 2025.
• Time of Dispatch: 4:51 a.m.
• Type of Incident: Structure Fire.
• Location of Incident: San Rafael Airport (private use). 400 Smith Ranch Rd.
• Occupancy: Single-story storage building, approximately 2,000 square feet in size.
• Duration of Incident: In progress.
• Suspected Cause: Under investigation.
• Units Assigned: Two battalion chiefs. five engines, one ladder truck, one paramedic ambulance. Additionally, San Rafael Police, Marin County Hazardous Materials Response Team, Marin County Fire Investigation Unit, & PG&E.
INCIDENT SUMMARY
Firefighters responded to a structure fire on the San Rafael Airport Property. Upon arrival, crews found a single story, sheet metal type structure that was fully involved. Crews established a defensive-mode attack. This involves utilizing large diameter master stream hose lines that flow the maximum gallons per minute with the objective of confining the fire to the building of origin. There were similar sized structures located immediately adjacent on both sides of the fully involved structure that crews fought hard to protect. In addition to ground streams, the fire was fought utilizing the extended ladder from Truck 54’s 105-foot extended ladder. Also,
- The building is located on the northeast side of the airport property.
- It was apparent that the building was being used as a machine shop for repairs and fabrication of parts and equipment.
- There were no aircraft inside the building nor were any damaged.
- There were no injuries.
- The building was a total loss. Currently, there is no damage estimate.
- Thanks to the efforts of firefighters, the similar sized buildings located on either side of the involved structure were not damaged.
- The stricken building contained flammable and/or combustible liquids. An unknown amount of these products was spilled and mixed with the runoff of firefighting water. Because of this, the Marin County Hazardous Materials Response Team was dispatched to oversee containment and remediation.
- To assist with determining the probable cause of the fire, the Marin County Fire Investigation Team was dispatched to the scene.
It took approximately one hour to bring the fire under control. Along with HazMat remediation, fire investigation, and overhaul, fire crews will be on scene for most of the morning.
PIO: Deputy Chief Robert Sinnott 415-261-7333 (c) robert.sinnott@cityofsanrafael.org
Updates
Incident Command:
At approximately 9:00 a.m., the role of Incident Commander transitioned to Battalion Chief Kyle Hamilton.
Investigation Update:
Due to the instability of the structure, the collapse of the roof, and the presence of spilled hazardous materials, an investigation into the cause was not possible. Further efforts to determine the cause may be conducted once the structure is stabilized and the interior areas are made safe to enter.
Hazardous Materials Update:
The Marin County Hazardous Materials Response Team worked to prevent contaminated firefighting water from entering storm drains or wetland areas. They contacted the County of Marin Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) to take over management of the hazardous materials cleanup process. CUPA, in collaboration with Airport management, contracted with an environmental cleanup firm that is now working to fully remediate the site.
Status of Scene as of 3:00 p.m.:
All San Rafael Fire units had cleared the scene by approximately 1:00 p.m. Marin County CUPA staff and the environmental clean up firm will remain on site.