Fire chars 25 acres near Kaiser Modesto Medical Center
.jpg "About 25 acres of vegetation burned across from Kaiser Modesto Medical Center on Dale Road on Friday.")
About 25 acres of vegetation burned across from the Kaiser Permanente Modesto Medical Center on Dale Road on Friday afternoon – after a person threw a cigarette out of a car window, according to a witness.
The fire started about 2 p.m. in the field east of Dale. Northwest winds up to 18 mph fueled the flames, quickly threatening several homes on Bangs Avenue.
The fire burned a fence of one home and trees surrounding two others, said Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Tietjen.
The trees that were on fire blew embers onto the shake roof of one of the homes, but firefighters got water on it before it spread into the attic.
Firefighters set “backfires,” bringing it to the roadway for a natural containment line.
The fire was contained by 4 p.m., but a large pile of vegetation closest to Dale Road was left to burn itself out and was expected to remain smoldering throughout the night and possibly into Saturday.
Bee staff writer Erin Tracy can be reached at etracy@modbee.com or (209) 578-2366. Follow her on Twitter @ModestoBeeCrime.
This story was originally published April 24, 2015 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Fire chars 25 acres near Kaiser Modesto Medical Center."