Vacant house burns in Ceres, the fourth in three days

Firefighters battled another vacant house fire in Ceres on Friday, marking the fourth such incident in three days.

The fire was reported just after 8 a.m. on Ustick Road near Don Pedro Road. Flames were erupting through the roof of the house when firefighters arrived.

Firefighters with the Modesto Fire Department responded to help Ceres firefighters battle the blaze at the house, which was fenced off and vacant.

The cause of the fire had not been determined Friday afternoon.

Friday’s fire followed a blaze at a home on Walnut Avenue on Wednesday evening and fires on Portland Avenue and Robertson Road in Modesto on Thursday.

Modesto and Ceres firefighters responded to the Portland Avenue blaze at 7:07 p.m. Thursday.

According to Modesto Fire Department spokeswoman Jessica Smart, crews found a vacant single-story residence that had previously burned “well involved with fire.” Five engines, one truck and two battalion chiefs responded for a total of 21 personnel.

For safety reasons, the home was allowed to burn completely. Authorities believe it was human-caused.

A few hours later, firefighters with both departments responded to a working structure fire on Robertson Road. Smart said first arriving crews found smoke and flames coming from the rear of a vacant home. That blaze, reported at 11:51 p.m., also is believed to be human-caused. Damages were estimated at $60,000.

The Walnut Avenue home had been used by squatters for the past several years. Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Nicholes said he will recommend the city condemn and demolish the house.

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Vacant house burns in Ceres, the fourth in three days."