House fire near downtown Modesto displaces nine, damages three homes. What we know

A house under construction and adjacent homes in Modesto were destroyed by an early-morning fire on Friday — displacing nine people, according to the Modesto Fire Department.

Shortly after 5 a.m., crews were dispatched to the 500 block of Terminal Avenue. The fire engulfed the unfinished home, which spread to three adjacent occupied houses, which were damaged and deemed unlivable.

“Due to the state of the construction, just being a wood frame and the wood sheathing, it spread very fast was burned very hot,” said Modesto Battalion Chief Jim Black.

The flames took about 45 minutes to be knocked down, said Black. Because the fire had completely engulfed the unfinished home when they arrived, they focused on trying to prevent its spread to the nearby homes — which was semi-successful.

The three homes deemed unlivable were extensively damaged on one side but were not fully burned to the ground.

“You have to have multiple fire fronts and multiple teams attacking each building at the same time, which is pretty complex for the battalion chief that was on scene,” said Black. “It’s a big job for him to handle and he did a great job.”

The status of those displaced was unknown to Black, although he noted the American Red Cross typically responds to fires that displace residents.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, with the Fire Department offering no speculations. No one was injured as a result of the fire.

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