Early morning fire burns Merced offices on Fourth of July

An early morning fired burned the offices of a dentist and dermatologist on the Fourth of July, according to Merced City Fire Department officials.

The roof of Bear Creek Family Dental and Merced Dermatology offices in the 100 block of Park Avenue was reported to be on fire at about 3:15 a.m., according to Battalion Chief Jeremy Franklin.

The fire was found mostly in the decorative strip that circles the roof, he said, and firefighters had to cut holes into the roof to extinguish the flames.

The office will likely have to be closed for about a week, Franklin said. The office sustained an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 in damages, he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This story was originally published July 4, 2017 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Early morning fire burns Merced offices on Fourth of July."