Northwest Fresno house fire causes $100,000 in damage

A residential fire in northwest Fresno Friday afternoon began in a garage and wound up displacing two people.

The blaze started in a home at 1334 West Millbrae Ave. at around 1:15 p.m., said Batallion Chief Ron Stogdell of the Fresno Fire Department. As they arrived, firefighters encountered heavy smoke from the attic, a sign that the fire had been burning for a while. The blaze was contained by around 1:50 p.m.

Stogdell estimates that $100,000 worth of damage was done , but said that fire crews were able to salvage most of the residents’ belongings. Approximately 25 firefighters were involved at the fire’s peak. Two additional crews were called to the scene due to heat.

Radiant heat from the blaze caused roof shingles on a neighboring house to curl, but did not cause any structural damage.

Irene Torigian, one of the owners of the home, was there when the fire began. She has lived the house with her husband Greg since 1979. She said she was the only one home when the fire began.

“I was cooking in the kitchen and went in the garage and saw fire in the corner of the garage,” said Torigian. “I tried to call 911 but the phone wouldn’t work, so I grabbed my dog and got out and then called 911 with my cell phone.”

The cause is under investigation.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Northwest Fresno house fire causes $100,000 in damage."