Man suffers 3rd-degree burns in west Modesto fire that destroyed RV, threatened house
A burn victim was airlifted to an area hospital after an RV fire in west Modesto Monday evening, according to the Modesto and Burbank Paradise fire departments.
The fire broke out about 5:30 p.m. in the Burbank Paradise district. Engineer Eloy Lobato said the first reports were of a fence fire, but as crews were en route, the call was upgraded to a structure fire with two people reportedly stuck inside.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire in the backyard of a residence. A recreational vehicle was fully engulfed, and the fire threatened another nearby RV and a home, Lobato said.
Burbank Paradise was aided by the Woodland, Westport and Modesto fire departments. Crews quickly knocked down the RV fire and found no one inside, Lobato said.
The man who ended up being airlifted had gotten out of the RV on his own. He suffered third-degree burns to one arm, the engineer said, and no one else was injured.
The burning RV was destroyed, but the second RV and the house were protected, Lobato said. A vegetation fire that extended out to Carpenter Road also was extinguished.
Modesto Fire assisted with treatment of the burn victim and with setting up a helicopter landing zone at John Thurman Field.
