Four-alarm blaze at south Modesto pallet company spreads to bakery
A four-alarm fire that started at a south Modesto pallet company and spread to vehicles at a bakery next door caused $750,000 in damage between the two businesses Friday.
The fire started in the repair area of CSS Pallets in the 1700 block of Reliance Avenue around 3:30 a.m.
“There are numerous pneumatic tools and other items — compressor, electric hand tools, electric wiring — that are the potential cause in the area,” said Dustin Bruley, supervisor of the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit.
The blaze promoted a response from the Modesto Fire Department, Ceres Fire Department, Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District, and the Turlock Fire Department.
“Unfortunately, due to the intensity of the fire, it had to be fought defensively, which allowed this area to extensively burn,” Bruley said.
The fire destroyed a 60-by-60 foot area of pallets stacked 20 feet high and spread to Bimbo Bakery, where it burned 10 delivery trucks, said Modesto Fire Department Division Chief Mike Lillie.
Firefighters brought it under control in two hours but crews were still on scene doing mop up Friday afternoon.
Lillie did not know how much of the estimated $750,000 damage was from each business.
This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 3:50 PM.
