House being rehabbed in south Modesto burns

A vacant home being rehabilitated in south Modesto burned early Wednesday.

The fire on the 1100 block of Inyo Avenue, southwest of Hanshaw Middle School was reported about 1:43.

Several neighbors called to report the house on fire and the possibility that someone was trapped inside, said Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Hugo Patino.

When firefighters arrived, they found the front half of the house well involved in fire. “We started setup for an offensive fire attack but had some roof collapse,” Patino said, “and went back on defensive for a while to take some of the heat out of the building.”

When it was safe to do so, firefighters searched the home and found no one. They backed out and continued to cool the building, getting much of the smoke out, Patino said, then did another search, again finding no one inside.

“Our understanding is that the house is vacant but undergoing rehabilitation,” Patino said. “A car in the driveway also was destroyed. ... We think the car might have been left there by the construction team.”

The fire was put out within 20 minutes of firefighters’ arrival, Patino said, and damage was estimated at $75,000. The cause remains under investigation.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 8:22 AM with the headline "House being rehabbed in south Modesto burns."