Fire damages north Merced home, cause of blaze under investigation

A north Merced home near the intersection of Yosemite Avenue and San Jose Avenue was damaged by a garage fire on Monday.

Firefighters responded to the reported structure fire in the 3500 block of San Jose Avenue at 10:35 a.m., according to Merced City Fire Department Battalion Chief Shawn Luce.

A total of about 15 fire personnel responded to the fire including three fire engines, one firetruck, a battalion chief, administrative battalion chief and deputy chief.

The first unit on scene found heavy flames in the home’s garage. The home was not occupied at the time of the fire.

“Quick knockdown of the fire kept it to the garage itself, and we’re doing an investigation to determine the cause of the actual fire,” Luce said.

Officials said the majority of the damage to the residence is in the garage with some damage to the interior of the home due to hose lines being used to protect the interior of the structure.

According to Luce, no injuries were reported to firefighters or civilians. Fire officials said gas and electric utilities to the building have been shut off for safety reasons.

According to fire officials, the fire caused an estimated minimum of $60,000 in damages but that figure could increase depending on the contents inside.