Building destroyed in morning fire near Merced, but it’s not all bad news

A vacant house burned down just outside the city of Merced, though fire crews were able to keep flames off of neighboring buildings, according to Calfire.

Flames were reported at about 7:40 a.m. on Highway 59 north of Gerard Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Mark Pimentel.

A gas line broke, adding to the flames, but firefighters contained the blaze after the gas lines were shut off, he said. Two buildings on either side of the burning home were protected from damage.

The home has been abandoned for multiple years, but is know to attract transient people, he said. Some witnesses reported seeing people flee from the building after the fire was visible, he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to Calfire.

A Merced City Fire engine with four firefighters responded to aid Calfire, which responded with four fire apparatuses and eight paid members of its crew. Three on-call firefighters also responded from Calfire, according to Pimentel.

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Building destroyed in morning fire near Merced, but it’s not all bad news."