Strong winds fuel Merced attic fire. Firefighter suffers minor injuries

Strong winds helped fuel an attic fire at a home in the 1300 block of East Yosemite Avenue around 9 a.m. Thursday, according to the Merced Fire Department.

Battalion Chief Cory Haas said no occupants were injured, however a firefighter had minor injuries. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.

“We had some pretty strong significant winds coming out of the southeast at that moment and that was fueling the attic fire,” he said.

Haas said the construction of the home made it a challenge to access the fire.

“This is an older home which had a lath and plaster ceiling, that makes it more challenging to gain access to those confined spaces where the fire might be working. In this case the attic,” Haas said. “So that increased the challenge of this firefight.”

Upon arrival crews requested an additional engine from the county and one additional Merced City fire truck was dispatched to the scene. Fire officials said a total of 17 fire personnel responded to the scene.