Fires burn 2 homes in Tuolumne County
Nighttime blazes on Monday and Tuesday leave 9 unsheltered
Fires caused major damage to two homes in Tuolumne County on consecutive nights Monday and Tuesday, displacing a total of nine residents.
Firefighters responded about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to the 19100 block of Hess Avenue in East Sonora for a residential structure fire with two people still inside the home, the Tuolumne County Fire Department said in a statement Wednesday morning.
The first unit arrived at the scene within five minutes and confirmed that all seven occupants of the burning home had escaped, the department stated.
Firefighters made an interior attack and worked aggressively to put out the blaze by about 2 a.m. Wednesday, though the home was “heavily damaged,” according to the department.
Full containment of the fire was reached at 5:43 a.m. Wednesday, the department stated. The cause remained under investigation. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or the seven people who escaped from the home.
Also helping to put out the fire were personnel from the Tuolumne Fire District, Twain Harte Fire Department, Mi-wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District, Columbia Fire Protection District, Columbia College, Jamestown Fire Protection District, Sonora Fire Department and Modesto Fire Department.
About the same time the night before, firefighters from the Tuolumne Fire District had led the response to a blaze on Cedar Street in Tuolumne that also left a home with major damage.
The district stated that it responded to the scene about 10:30 p.m. Monday and found “heavy fire conditions showing” upon arrival, which resulted in a request for additional resources.
Crews were able to contain the fire following “an aggressive, coordinated attack” and cleared the scene shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday.
Two people who lived at the home reportedly escaped without injury. There were no reports of injuries to any firefighters, as well.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Wednesday morning, according to personnel at the district.
Other agencies that helped put out the blaze and manage the scene were the county Fire Department, Cal Fire Tuolumne-calaveras Unit, the Tuolumne Rancheria Fire Department, county Sheriff’s Office and Tuolumne Rancheria Tribal Security.