South Modesto fire displaces 11; crews also extinguish two stolen vehicles

Five adults and six children were displaced from their home in south Modesto by a garage fire early Monday, the Modesto Fire Department reported.

The fire broke out about 3 a.m. and is believed to have started when a battery charger overheated, said Battalion Chief Randy Anderson. One of the residents either smelled or heard something coming from the garage and discovered the blaze, Anderson said.

“The fire got going pretty good,” he said, but firefighters were able to get a hose line through the house as well as straight into the garage, so contained it quickly. “It got inot the attic a little but we pulled some of the ceiling down and knocked down the fire so that it didn’t spread to the main body of the house.”

Power to the home had to be cut until wiring can be repaired, Anderson said. Red Cross provided assistance to the families who share the home, Anderson said, and firefighters gave them a $100 SAVE (Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency ) gift card from the California Fire Foundation to buy necessities.

Damage to the property is estimated at $45,000, he said.

Several hours before the house fire, MFD crews put out a couple of stolen vehicles that had been set afire, Anderson said.

The first was discovered about 10:30 p.m. Sunday in the middle of a field at Ironside Drive and St. Salazar Circle in south Modesto, Anderson said. Firefighters found a midsize car fully engulfed. Its license plates were gone, he said, and even the VIN (vehicle identification number) could not be determined.

Fortunately, the fire did not spread because the area the car was left in was primarily dirt.

About 11 p.m., another burning vehicle was found less than two miles north, in the area of Marseille Lane and La Mans Street. The passenger compartment was burning but extinguished quickly, Anderson said.

The car, a Honda, had been reported stolen within an hour prior to being found, Anderson said.

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 8:07 AM with the headline "South Modesto fire displaces 11; crews also extinguish two stolen vehicles."