Turlock firefighters waged an attack Sunday night on a roaring garage fire that was rapidly advancing on the home and neighboring residences.
The first report of the fire in the 2500 block of Teresa Court came in at 6:45 p.m. Sunday and indicated a person was trapped in the home, said Turlock Fire spokesman Capt. Kevin Tidwell. The first firefighters to arrive at the home found that everyone had gotten out of the home and no one was injured.
The attached garage of the single-family home was already filled with thick smoke and heavy flames. The large volume of fire was spreading into the residence as well as threatening surrounding vehicles and neighboring homes.
“Firefighters successfully extinguished a rapidly moving and free burning fire in a two-car garage and in the attic space above them,” said Turlock Fire Chief Robert Talloni.
The firefighters first tackled the fire from the outside, until they were able to go inside and make a combined attack.
“The coordinated actions of both interior and exterior crews held the majority of the fire to the garage and prevented major fire damage and loss to the remainder of the house and the occupants’ personal belongings,” Tidwell said.
Turlock City Fire Department responded initially with two engines and a battalion chief. A third engine and Squad 32 were delayed in responding to the fire as they were committed to a vehicle accident on Highway 99 at the time of dispatch. The chief of the department and the fire marshal also responded to the incident.
Due to the other emergency calls within the city and the drawdown of Turlock City Fire Department resources at the time of this fire, several surrounding fire agencies were requested for immediate response to the structure fire. Ceres Fire Department responded with one engine, a truck, and a battalion chief as part of a resource sharing agreement. Denair Fire Department and Keyes Fire Protection District both responded with an engine.
Turlock Rural Fire Protection District provided city coverage during the incident and responded to multiple emergencies throughout the duration of the structure fire. Turlock Irrigation District and PG&E responded to assist with securing utilities and several AMR units responded to provide medical care to possible victims and provide firefighter safety.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Any inquiries regarding the investigation should be directed to Fire Marshal Mark Gomez at 669-2119 or mgomez@turlock.ca.us.
