People, pets escape as fire destroys house and threatens market

Four people and five pets escaped a two-alarm fire in Visalia on Friday that destroyed a home and threatened a store next to it, the Visalia Fire Department said.

When firefighters arrived at 1427 Court St. at 5:37 p.m., they saw smoke and flames coming from the back side of the house.

A second alarm was called because smoke and flames threatened the Houston Avenue Market next door. The fire was contained within 20 minutes, and the market was not burned.

Everyone was outside the home before crews arrived, although one person burned her fingers, the fire department said.

The fire caused about $30,000 in damage to the house and a detached structure, and $15,000 worth of contents were destroyed inside the home.

The Houston Avenue Market will need to be inspected by city officials for possible damage, the fire department said.

This story was originally published December 30, 2017 at 11:46 AM with the headline "People, pets escape as fire destroys house and threatens market."