Fire destroys two homes in northwest Fresno, with cause under investigation

Two homes were destroyed Monday night as flames swept through a northwest Fresno neighborhood.

Initial reports came in just before 5 p.m. for a home on fire in the 7200 block of north Teilman Avenue.

The fire spread north to south, first consuming one house and then another next door, Fresno Fire Battalion Chief Tony Escobedo said. The roof of the second home completely collapsed.

Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, also the city’s former mayor, said he lives three houses away. By the time he got outside, he saw both homes completely ablaze.

“My wife came in and told me about it and I came out and saw these two homes just completely covered in flames,” Patterson said. “It was all over the homes and the trees.”

Two families were displaced, though it was unclear how many people were affected. A third alarm was called.

People were inside both homes when the fires began, but managed to get out in time, said another battalion chief, Tim Fulmer.

There was no immediate word on the cause. Crews also worked to shut off a gas line in the area, but no other homes were reported to have been damaged.

No injuries were reported among residents.

Two firefighters suffered heat-related issues but were doing OK after cooling down in an area away from the front lines, Fulmer said. In addition to the flames, temperatures in the Fresno area fell just short of 100 degrees Monday.

There were about 50 firefighters on scene, with crews still there as of 8:30 p.m. The Fire Department, as is customary when fires trigger multiple alarms and tax resources, ordered a temporary suspension of their response on medical-aid calls.

This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 6:19 PM.