Early-morning fire damages Atwater home, displaces family of five, according to officials
An early morning fire damages a home and displaced a family of five in Atwater on Friday, according to a Merced County Fire official.
Fire crew from the Atwater Fire and Merced County Fire departments responded to a structure fire in the 1300 block of Third Street in Atwater at 4:12 a.m., according to Merced County Fire battalion chief Brian White.
“The father woke up to a sound and realized there was heavy smoke and fire coming from the living room,” White said. “He tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but was unsuccessful. He was able to maneuver through the home and get his family out and nobody was hurt or injured.”
There were five fire trucks and engines from the two fire units on scene to combat the blaze.
According to White, the crews had a tough time fighting the fire because the home was built in 1914 and the older construction material helped to trap the heat inside.
Due to the fire damage the home was unlivable for the two adults and three children. They lost a lot of personal belongings and furniture in the fire, according to White.
The Red Cross is assisting the family.
The fire was contained just after 7 a.m.
White stressed the importance of home owners making sure they have working smoke detectors, especially with an early-morning fire like this one. White also emphasized the importance of families having an evacuation plan, especially families with children.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
