Fire destroys garage, pickup at northwest Fresno home

Fresno firefighters battled a house fire in northwest Fresno that destroyed a family’s garage and pickup Wednesday afternoon.

Battalion Chief Ron Stogdell said the blaze started just before 12:45 p.m. at the home on McCaffrey Avenue near Polk Avenue. Firefighters found the home fully involved.

No one was hurt in the fire, which caused $40,000 to $50,000 in damage. Most of the damage was to the garage and truck, and the residents may be able to stay in the house Wednesday night.

No neighboring homes were damaged in the fire.

The cause is under investigation.

Miguel Alvarez, who lives in the home, said he was at a doctor’s appointment when the blaze began. A neighbor called him to tell him his house was on fire. When he returned home, he ran into his backyard to save his dogs.

No one was home, and all of the doors were locked.

However, Stogdell said someone was in or around the house when the fire started. One of the department’s fire investigators is currently interviewing witnesses.

Arson has not been ruled out.

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Fire destroys garage, pickup at northwest Fresno home."