A fire that started in a clothes dryer ignited a detached garage and was threatening to spread to the residence before Turlock firefighters were able to bring it under control.
The fire was reported shortly before 9:30 p.m. Sunday in the 200 block of Davis Street.
Upon arrival, Turlock firefighters found a well-involved detached garage fire that was threatening the main residence. The firefighters rapidly deployed multiple hose lines to hold the fire to the garage and prevent any extension into the residence. Crews had to force entry through a fortified gate to gain access to the rear of the garage, and had to remove the large garage door with a circular saw to provide needed access to the main body of fire, said Turlock Fire Department spokesman Kevin Tidwell.
“A good size-up of the fire, the use of power tools, and well-placed hose lines extinguished the fire and prevented direct flame contact to the main house,” said Turlock Fire Chief Robert Talloni.
The cause of the fire was determined to be a clothes dryer. The Turlock Fire Department reminds residents that overheated clothes dryers can cause fires and taking care of it is important for home fire safety. Dryer screens should be cleaned after each load and ducts and vents should be kept lint-free. The leading cause of home clothes dryer fires is failure to clean them. An estimated 2,900 dryer fires happen every year, causing five deaths, 100 injuries and $35 million in property loss, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
A total of three engines, one squad, a battalion chief and the Fire Chief responded to the incident for a total of 14 Turlock Fire personnel. Ceres Fire Department responded with one engine and a battalion chief for an additional four personnel as part of the Resource Sharing Agreement. Turlock Rural Fire Protection District also responded with an engine for an additional three personnel. A total of 21 personnel were on-scene between all responding agencies. Once released, Ceres Fire and Turlock Rural both provided engines for city coverage.
Any inquiries or information regarding this investigation can be addressed by contacting the Fire Marshal at 669-2119.
