Porterville home is destroyed by fire

The Porterville Fire Department responded to a residential fire on the 400 block of West Alice Avenue early Saturday morning to find the attic of the home fully engulfed in flame.

Residences to the north, west and east of the fire were also in danger due to intense radiant heat from the blaze, but PFD saved them from any significant damage.

PFD Chief Dave Lapere said that units confirmed upon arrival that all occupants of the residence, including pets, had been evacuated, but the structure could not be saved.

“We had a little bit of bubbling on one of the fascia boards [of the other residences], which is normal when you have radiant heat of that magnitude, but we didn’t let one house catch on fire other than the house that was on fire,” said Lapere.

After extinguishing the fire and protecting exposure to other homes, crews began salvaging as much of the residents’ belongings as possible.

“After we investigated, the cause of the fire appears to be electrical in nature somewhere in the attic,” said La Pere.

PFD called the Red Cross to arrange a place to stay for the occupants and provide clothing and supplies, as well as contacting their insurance provider to expedite the claim process.