Firefighters battle house fire in North Salinas
A Salinas family is left out of their home Tuesday night after a fire broke out in their garage in the afternoon.
“The flames were shooting out and it was kind of getting real close to (another) house,” said Robert Flores, a neighbor. “(The homeowner) had some trees right there. And he starts trying to get his hose and throwing it toward the flames, but then the police officer started yelling for everyone to get back.”
The fire occurred near the intersection of Lafayette Way and Delancey Drive in North Salinas. Firefighters say the fire started in the garage and spread into the attic. The five people inside were all able to get out safely.
“The firefighters were very successful in keeping the fire from burning into the living area of the home,” said Brett Loomis, a Salinas deputy fire chief.
The roof over the garage did collapse, but the rest of the house’s structure remained intact. It took all on-duty fire staff to get this one under control, which leaves other incidents to be covered by departments outside the city.
“We did have another fire during this firefight,” said Loomis. “We had mutual aid from our mutual aid partners: Monterey County Regional Fire, North Monterey County and Aromas Tri-County.”
The Salinas department also continues to struggle with a staffing shortage of just 24 firefighters at minimum on any given day.
“For a city our size, that is not adequate staffing. But that is the staffing the budget allows us,” said Loomis. “A number of the firefighters that were here at this fire were already on other emergencies when this fire came in.”
Still, it is a tough scene for both the family and those tasked with saving their home.
“It’s obviously a traumatic situation. You’re standing here, you’re watching your home burn and you’re waiting for the firefighters to extinguish the fire,” said Loomis.
“The good thing is they made it all out,” said Flores. “The house is replaceable, fully insured. So it’s just too bad they have to go through this. Feel real sad for them.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
