Fire engulfs RV in the middle of the night
Firefighters and police were on the scene to put out the fire outside the former Horizon Shine lot
At around 1 a.m. this morning, homeless residents near the former Horizon Shine lot were startled by loud bangs coming from an RV sitting just outside of what was once the entrance.
Former Horizon Shine resident Rick MacNamara had been inside the RV with Lucy, the dog, when he noticed smoke and a hole in the side of the vehicle. After briefly looking for a fire extinguisher, he picked up the dog and jumped out. This was right before a huge bang—one that sprung him all the way to fence.
That bang was followed by four other bangs, according to MacNamara, and in no time the RV was inundated with smoke and fire. Ronda Scott, the RV’s owner, was not around when the fire began but arrived on the scene just a few minutes later.
According to Sebastopol Police Captain Jim Hickey, two officers arrived around 1 a.m. to find the fifth wheel RV engulfed in flames and the fence outside of Horizon Shine on fire as well. Around that time both Sebastopol and Gold Ridge firetrucks arrived and were able to quickly put out the fire. No one was seriously injured.
Sebastopol Fire left the scene at around 2:30 a.m. They are not speculating about the cause of the fire.
“I mean, generally in a motor vehicle or a trailer or things of that nature, it’s really almost impossible to find the cause because there's really nothing left when you're done," said Sebastopol Fire Captain Lou Castleberry.
At around noon today the RV was gone—in its place a collection of ash and burnt belongings. MacNamara and Charles Dahlquist, another former Horizon Shine resident, were sorting through the items.
This is, of course, very sad and unfortunate. However it is not surprising. I walk my dog past this area at least once a day and have noticed no shortage of wires, generators, and other electrical equipment that appeared old and barely working - often resting in puddles of water. I spoke to our Police Chief about this as I have been very concerned about the possibility of an electrical fire or other accident. Not to say that’s what caused this but I would not be surprised if it was. This area has become a danger and hazard for the surrounding neighborhood and hopefully this will spur action to remove this risk. Very fortunate that others weren’t injured or impacted by this blight.
This is why I love the Sebastopol Times! I drove by HorizonShine this morning, saw a tow truck and all the detritus left from the fire. The first thought I had was "I wonder what happened?" The second thought I had was "I bet it will be in the paper!" Thank you for your continuous, prompt and thorough coverage of what is happening in our community. I appreciate it so much!