Fire north of Modesto declared 100 percent contained

Several structures were lost as a wind-fueled vegetation fire raged out of control north of Modesto on Thursday afternoon.

By nightfall, the fast-moving blaze that threatened homes along McHenry Avenue, Hogue Road and the Del Rio community was declared 100 percent contained. It had roared south from its start north of the Stanislaus River, charring 30 to 40 acres of vegetation, according to Jessica Smart, spokeswoman for the Modesto Fire Department.

Smart said firefighters would closely monitor the area with roving patrols throughout the evening and would start the complete overhaul in the morning.

Randall Bradley, chief of the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District, said at least three structures had been lost and 12 homes south of the Stanislaus River to Hogue Road had been evacuated.

One woman suffered minor burns and was taken by private car to a hospital. Two rafters on the Stanislaus River were lost amid the smoke but were later located west of the McHenry Bridge.

Believed to have suffered damage was the Lotus Garden, which has more than 80 varieties of lotus flowers, several water lilies and ponds.

The fire, which began at about 3 p.m., was believed to have started in an area south of Escalon near River Road and then jumped the river and headed toward north Modesto as late afternoon winds began to grow.

Tony Williams saw the early stages of the fire from his vantage point at Escalon Sportsman’s Club, which is on River Road just west of McHenry Avenue.

He said he saw smoke coming up across the street west of the road and called 911.

Minutes later, he said, “This fire just blew out of proportion and the wind pushed it.”

Christopher Hill lives on McHenry north of Hogue Road with his wife and three children – ages 8, 11 and 13. He was at work when he got word that his family had to be evacuated.

He attempted to drive home while his family was packing their belongings as ash began falling from the sky.

In 2008, he said, he lost his Salida home – and 85 percent of his belongings – to fire.

“We’ve already lived through a house fire,” he said Thursday night. “What did I do, roll snake eyes to have to go through this again? It took everything I had to drive sane over here.”

His family was with friends in Modesto. He said he received information that his home might have been saved.

“All we can do is hope and pray for the best,” he said. “I don’t do much praying, but in these cases, you don’t want to have to start over again.”

“It was scary,” said Ken Miller, who grew up in Del Rio and now owns McHenry Golf Center a few miles south of fire.

As he was conducting a lesson, he watched as more than 30 fire trucks screamed heading in the direction of his old neighborhood. He later hopped in his car and got as far as Al’s Furniture on McHenry near Ladd Road.

“Looking down the road it was the nastiest thing I had seen in my life,” he said. “The road was so smoky. It was unbelievable.”

One resident on Stewart Road, who gave only her first name, Gail, said she had been watching the news but was not too concerned.

But, she added, “I packed a little bag, but that’s just me.”

Bradley said evacuees numbered fewer than 100. He said about 100 firefighters were on the scene.

Although the fire was extinguished, power was reported out Thurday evening to about 20 homes north of Stewart and east of McHenry, which authorities said would be closed into the evening.

Air support was called in, and local fire authorities asked for strike teams from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Agencies from around the region were called to assist; volunteer firefighters have been called to staff their stations in rural communities.

This story was originally published June 18, 2015 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Fire north of Modesto declared 100 percent contained."