A fire raced through a two-story home Thursday night in Turlock, displacing a family of six, the Turlock Fire Department reported.
The fire broke out around 10 p.m. Thursday at a home in the 200 block of West Avenue South. At the time of dispatch, Turlock Fire Department resources were already on scene and committed to a smoldering fire in the attic of a residence on the 800 block of Alpha Road.
The first firefighters to arrive at the residence found all six occupants out of the home and uninjured, said Turlock Fire Capt. Kevin Tidwell.
A fire was already raging between the two-story home and a detached garage on a neighboring property.
“Turlock firefighters conducted a defensive operation, deploying a hose line to try and limit the fire spread to the surrounding buildings,” Tidwell said. “Firefighters worked tirelessly to knock down the main body of the fire and stop its forward progress.”
A second engine was able to clear the scene at Alpha and help fight the flames. This allowed the firefighters to make entry into the home and start extinguishing the fires burning in both the first and second story bedrooms.
One firefighter was treated and released on-scene for heat exhaustion, Tidwell said.
The fire caused significant damage to the home and the Red Cross was helping with temporary lodgings.
Turlock City Fire responded to the scene with one engine, Utility 5, and a battalion chief, while also requesting mutual aid assistance from Stanislaus County. Ceres Fire Department responded to the incident with one engine, a quint, and a battalion chief as part of a resource sharing agreement. These incoming resources assisted with fire attack, salvaging personal belongings, and checking the remainder of the structures to ensure there was no further fire spread.
Turlock Rural Fire Protection District provided city coverage during the incident and responded to multiple emergencies within the city. Turlock Irrigation District and PG&E responded to assist with securing utilities and an AMR unit responded to provide medical care to the injured firefighter and any possible victims.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Any inquiries regarding the investigation should be directed to Fire Marshal Mark Gomez at 209 669-2119 or mgomez@turlock.ca.us.
