Flames claim Livingston home during busy weekend for firefighters

Four people in Livingston were displaced by a fire over the weekend that also torched two vehicles – it was one of several emergencies that kept Merced County firefighters busy over the weekend.

The fire in Livingston was reported around 3 a.m. Saturday in the 600 block of First Avenue, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Merced County.

Battalion Chief Jeremy Rahn said the fire burned the exterior of the home and gutted two vehicles in the area. The cause of the fire remained under investigation. Damage was estimated at $75,000. Firefighters said about $125,000 in property was saved through firefighter efforts.

The fire displaced the four residents, but they were able to stay with family members, Rahn said.

Fifteen firefighters responded to the scene. The fire was extinguished and mopped up by around 7 a.m., officials said.

Two hours earlier that same morning, firefighters were called to the 9000 block of Hillside Drive in Delhi after flames from a burning debris pile spread into a vacant building. Nine county firefighters battled the flames and prevented the fire from spreading to two nearby buildings that were threatened, Rahn said.

Damage to the building in Delhi was estimated at about $10,000, firefighters said.

A vegetation fire sparked Friday in the area of Mallard Way, in a rural area outside Dos Palos, claimed about 40 acres of dry grass and brush, firefighters reported.

Rahn said the fire appeared to have been started by some type of machinery clearing brush.

“It’s a good reminder for people who are going to be working on vegetation, or do yardwork, to do it in the mornings, preferably before 10 a.m.,” Rahn said. “It’s extremely dry out there because of the four-year drought and the safest way to do that work is in the morning hours.”

Forty firefighters battled the blaze Friday, including firefighters from Merced and Fresno counties and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Firefighters continued to monitor the area for flare-ups throughout the weekend.

No injuries were reported in any of the fires.

This story was originally published July 12, 2015 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Flames claim Livingston home during busy weekend for firefighters."