One dead in Modesto house fire

A man died early Sunday in a two-alarm house fire in Modesto.

Fire Department officials say they believe the man lived in the home and was about 60 years old. The man’s name was not released pending his positive identification. Two dogs escaped the blaze, but no one else was in the home.

Firefighters responded at 6:35 a.m. to the fire on the 2700 block of El Pasado Drive, next to the Creekside Golf Course. There was smoke and fire coming from the home when firefighters arrived. Firefighters attacked the blaze and searched the residence. They found the man inside the home. Battalion Chief Hugo Patino said the man died at the scene.

Neighbors said the man who lived in the home that caught fire lived alone and kept to himself. He used taxis or rode his bike for transportation. They said typically the only time they saw him was when he walked his dogs. Some neighbors said they believe the man worked at or had retired from a cannery and his first name may have been Ted.

“Really, no one knew him,” said Frank Sahagun, who said when he moved to El Pasado Drive 14 years ago the man already was living on the street. “He was a loner.”

A Fire Department news release says the cause of the fire and the cause of the man’s death are under investigation. The release says the fire caused about $250,000 in damage. Patino said 37 firefighters and other fire personnel from Modesto and the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District responded to the blaze.

The two dogs, which included one with three legs, were turned over to animal control.

This story was originally published March 15, 2015 at 10:57 AM with the headline "One dead in Modesto house fire."