Former gas station mini-mart burns in south Modesto

Fire gutted a vacant gas station mini-mart at Morgan Road and Seventh Street, in the shadow of the Hatch Road overpass at Highway 99 in south Modesto.

Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Hugo Patino said the building was in flames and in danger of collapse when firefighters arrived Saturday afternoon.

An off-duty security guard passing by got people out of the seven or so homes clustered in a small courtyard behind the station, and there was no fire damage to their buildings, Patino said.

Firefighters found only a few shelves remaining inside what had once been a Valero gas station and store, its perimeter circled by chain-link fencing.

There were no injuries, but Patino estimated it would take about $400,000 to replace the building. Only blackened piles of debris could be seen in the still-burning frame that remained standing, much of which would need to be destroyed to quell hot spots in the walls, he said.

The cause of the fire had not been determined, but Patino said there was no electrical service and the point of origin was inside the structure. “It didn’t start by itself,” he said, but declined to label the blaze suspicious.

This story was originally published May 2, 2015 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Former gas station mini-mart burns in south Modesto."