East Modesto blaze guts living room

Three people escaped unharmed while their living room went up in flames late Saturday in east Modesto.

The occupants smelled smoke about 10 p.m. while hanging out outside the home in the 1000 block of Gemini Court, according to the Modesto Fire Department, whose investigator was not able to pinpoint the fire’s cause. The residents received lodging help from the Red Cross, said Battalion Chief Randy Anderson, who estimated damage at $60,000.

Did a late-night downpour help knock down flames?

“Not at all,” Anderson said. “It just made it more miserable.”

This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 1:08 PM with the headline "East Modesto blaze guts living room."