2 injured in Merced-area house fire

Two men were injured Friday when a fire destroyed the home they were in before spreading to a second house on the west edge of Merced, authorities reported.

Crews were called to the 2300 block of Meadowbrook Avenue in the Beachwood/Franklin area just before 2 p.m., according to Battalion Chief Baraka Carter. The first home was engulfed in flames when crews arrived.

Two men in the home suffered minor burns and were taken to an area hospital, officials said. A third occupant escaped without injury.

The flames spread to a second home to the north, according to officials, but no one was home. Both homes were destroyed by the blaze, and a chicken coop behind the first home also caught fire.

Neighbors standing outside while the houses burned said they heard an explosion before seeing flames.

The blaze adds to what’s started off as a busy fire season. The biggest fire in recent memory displaced about 60 people May 20 when it destroyed 18 units at the Schoolhouse Apartments in Winton.

A week later another fire in Winton damaged a house, and earlier this week two separate blazes damaged property in Atwater.

Fire season generally starts in April, Carter said. “It’s a daily occurrence, whether we’re responding to a vegetation fire or some kind of structure fire,” he said.

To prevent damage to homes, fire officials recommend keeping wild grasses under 6 inches. They also recommend all electrical work be done by qualified contractors, that residents avoid using extension cords and homeowners install smoke detectors. The detectors should be tested monthly.

Carter said years of drought in the state have dried out grasses, making them more susceptible to fire.

Residents should draw up escape plans in case they need to evacuate a home, according to fire officials, and children should be trained how to react to a fire in the home.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded to the Meadowbrook blaze with eight fire engines and two water tenders. There were 19 firefighters and a battalion chief on scene. A Merced Fire Depratment engine also responded to assist.

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 2:46 PM with the headline "2 injured in Merced-area house fire."