Woman escapes ‘suspicious’ fire just before fire crews arrive

A woman was hurt after a fire broke out at a home in southeast Fresno on Tuesday night, said Fresno Fire Department Battalion Chief Tony Escobedo. The fire is considered suspicious because the home was supposed to be vacant, said Escobedo.

Neighbors called 911 around 10 p.m. to report the fire on Dearing Avenue, just south of Tulare Avenue and west of Chestnut Avenue. A woman escaped just before fire crews arrived to find the house half-engulfed in flames, according to Escobedo. The woman suffered head and arm injuries and was being treated at the scene.

Flames rose 30 feet in the air, causing a power line to come down on the roof. Crews managed to put the fire out within 15 minutes, but the home was a total loss. Minor damage was also caused to a neighbor’s fence.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, and Escobedo said the house has a history of at least three fires in the last year.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 11:40 PM with the headline "Woman escapes ‘suspicious’ fire just before fire crews arrive."