Blaze destroys trailer, RV parked on property near Ceres

A fire on Sunday destroyed a trailer and a RV in an unincorporated neighborhood just north of Ceres, sending a thick column of black smoke into the air visible from Highway 99 in downtown Modesto.

The fire was first reported about 1:45 p.m. as a grass fire, said Ceres Fire Batallion Chief John Gomes. The blaze was soon after upgraded to structure fire between Sonora and Latimer avenues and just east of South Ninth Street.

Firefightrers arrived at the scene and found flames had engulfed the fifth-wheel trailer and the RV, which were parked on a property in the 700 block of Anthony Avenue.

Gomes said they initially received reports of a resident trapped inside one of the burning structures, but that proved to be false. He said the resident had made it out safely by the time firefighters arrived.

There was also a reported down utility wire. The Turlock Irrigation Department responded to the scene and determined the down wire was a cable or telephone line; not an electricity line.

The firefighters took a defensive stance to prevent the flames from spreading further and got the blaze under control. Gomes said the firefighters also put out a spot fire they found in the front lawn at a home across the street, but there was no further damage evident at that home.

Investigators had not determined the cause the fire. No injuries were reported.

This story was originally published June 18, 2017 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Blaze destroys trailer, RV parked on property near Ceres."