Fire at Santa Rosa's Church of One Tree believed to be arson, investigators say
Around 8 p.m. Monday, the Santa Rosa Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Church of One Tree at 492 Sonoma Avenue. Dispatchers were told that a fire was burning at the back of the church.
The first fire crew arrived in under four minutes, officials said. Firefighters stretched hoses to the rear of the structure and were able to extinguish the fire.
Firefighters at the scene of a fire at Church of One Tree in Santa Rosa on May 26, 2025.
Santa Rosa Fire Department
Firefighters then opened a small portion of the back wall and checked the interior of the building, but the fire did not spread.
According to a preliminary investigation by a fire inspector, the fire appears to be "an intentional act", the fire department said in a statement.
A historic Santa Rosa landmark, the Church of One Tree was built in 1873 from lumber milled from a single redwood tree.
For many years, the building served as the First Baptist Church and was later the "Ripley's Believe it or Not" museum. Now owned by the city, the building has become an event space.
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