Turlock house badly damaged in fire

No one was injured in a fire that heavily damaged a Turlock house Sunday morning, leaving it uninhabitable.

About 6 a.m., crews responded to a structure fire in the 200 block of Angelus Street, just west of Lander Avenue. The found heavy smoke coming from multiple doors and windows, as well as a large fire near the rear of the house, said Capt. Kevin Tidwell, the Turlock Fire Department's public information officer.

While firefighters were laying hose lines and setting up for attack, "a flashover occurred inside the residence, which spread heavy fire throughout the living area and attic spaces," Tidwell said in a news release.

Crews began an offensive attack, entering the house and knocking down flames in the main living area. The occupants already were safely outside, Tidwell said. A family of four was displaced and received aid from the American Red Cross, he said.

Because fire damage compromised the structural integrity of the house, firefighters moved outside to extinguish the flames.

"One of the greatest dangers in firefighting is the threat of a building collapse," Fire Chief Robert Talloni said in the release. "Residential collapses have tripled since the 1980s. The structural integrity of this building was a great concern."

There was no immediate word on the origin and cause of the fire, which remained under investigation.

Turlock Fire Department responded to the scene with three engine companies, a rescue squad, the fire chief and the fire marshal. Modesto Fire Department assisted with a chief, and Ceres Fire provided an engine company.

This story was originally published February 12, 2018 at 7:34 AM with the headline "Turlock house badly damaged in fire."