Two displaced, dog killed, in Merced fire that gutted house, captain says

A house fire that burned “a good portion” of a Merced home displaced two adults and killed a small dog on Sunday, according to a fire captain.

Reports of a fire in the 2700 block of Madrid Way came in around 12:13 p.m. and flames were showing from the street when crews arrived, according to Fire Capt. Nathan Frankhauser.

The man and woman inside were able to get out on their own, and did not report any injuries, according to Frankhauser. After flames were knocked down around 12:30 p.m., firefighters recovered a small dog who succumbed to injuries.

The investigation is ongoing and it’s too early to say what caused the fire or where it originated in the home, he said. Several rooms were damaged.

Fourteen firefighters responded, he said.

The adults are expected to stay with family, and the Red Cross has been called in for relief, he said.

Many of the doors in the home were closed, which kept the damage from being worse.

“If you close your doors when you leave your home, it does significantly help with fire damage,” Frankhauser said.

This story was originally published July 29, 2018 at 1:54 PM.