Firefighter injured at house fire in east Modesto

A Ceres firefighter was injured Friday afternoon when he fell partially through the roof of a house that was on fire in east Modesto.

Modesto and Ceres fire departments and Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District responded to a duplex in the 500 block of North Riverside Drive about 4:45 p.m. The first arriving crews found heavy smoke coming from one side of the duplex, according to Modesto Division Chief Mike Lillie.

Several crews entered the structure to look for the fire and search for people while another crew went to the roof to ventilate the structure, releasing heat by creating holes in the roof.

A Ceres firefighter on the roof penetrated a section of the roof sheeting, causing a hole that he fell into, Lillie said. A “Mayday” was called, which means a firefighter is in distress and needs assistance.

The firefighter was able to catch himself at chest level before falling completely through the hole. Other firefighters on the roof pulled him from the hole, got him to a ladder and off the roof.

He suffered minor injures in the incident and was treated by paramedics at the scene.

The fire was brought under control but damaged both sides of the duplex. Three adults and four children were displaced. A cat perished in the fire, Lillie said.

Modesto police were also on scene at the fire and put a man on an involuntary psychiatric hold. Lt. Ivan Valencia said it is unclear if the man lives at one of the affected homes or if he was involved in the fire, but police were called to the scene by firefighters who said the man appeared to be suffering mental health issues.

The fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Firefighter injured at house fire in east Modesto."