Fire severely damages north Modesto home

A column of smoke could be seen for miles from a fire at a two-story north Modesto home on Monday afternoon.

The fire broke out at the 1820 Choctaw Way, northwest of Standiford Avenue and Carver Road, at about 2 p.m.

First arriving crews reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the rear of the home, said Modesto Fire Department spokeswoman Jessica Smart.

Residents were home when the fire started but evacuated before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters battled the blaze from both inside and outside of the structure, Smart said. The fire burned through ceiling joists and the roof prior to the the firefighters’ arrival, causing the structure to be unstable.

Smart said two adult were displaced by the fire, which caused an estimated $250,000 in damage.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Another fire Monday morning also displaced two people. The fire in the 1500 block of W. Hatch Road broke out at about 9 a.m., causing $150,000 in damage.

No other details about the Hatch Road fire were available Monday evening.

This story was originally published August 29, 2016 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Fire severely damages north Modesto home."