Fire displaces one in west Modesto

An electrical fire at a home in west Modesto displaced one man Monday evening.

There was a small fire in the attic of the home on Radcliffe Drive – off Blue Gum Avenue south of the Modesto Junior College West Campus – when the Modesto Fire Department arrived on scene, said Battalion Chief Tim Tietjen.

He said firefighters had to open ventilator holes in the ceiling and roof to battle the blaze but kept it contained to the attic.

Modesto police originally were called because a small marijuana grow was found in one of the rooms, but the resident had a medical recommendation and the grow had nothing to do with the fire.

Tietjen said the resident had been experiencing problems with the home’s circuit breaking for the past few days and investigators determined the electrical issues sparked the fire.

The fire caused an estimated $30,000 of damage to the structure and $10,000 to its contents.

This story was originally published January 19, 2015 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Fire displaces one in west Modesto."