As police investigate crash, fire breaks out at nearby home in airport neighborhood
While police were at the scene of a motorcycle crash that followed a pursuit in Modesto’s airport neighborhood on Thursday, a fire broke out at a home about a block away.
A Modesto Police officer and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s sergeant who were at the crash scene on Hillside Drive ran to the fully engulfed home and asked several people who were on the property pulling dogs away from the flames whether anyone was inside.
No one was inside the home but four people who live there arrived at the scene later, said Modesto Fire Department Division Chief Mike Lillie.
He said crews from Modesto, Ceres and Stanislaus Consolidated fire departments responded to the call.
“At the time of arrival, we took a defensive stance where we attacked the fire from the outside because of the amount of the fire involvement and the fact that we had live power lines down on the backside of the house,” Lillie said.
He said crews found a running generator with extension cords to the house.
The cause remains under investigation. The house was destroyed, and the estimated loss was $100,000.
This story was originally published October 31, 2019 at 4:41 PM.
