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Fire damages Whitmore Avenue home
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Firefighters tackle a fire that broke out late Sunday night at 3336 Whitmore Avenue.

A fire caused massive damage to an older home at 3336 Whitmore Avenue on Sunday evening into early Monday.

Two occupants living in the house just south of Lunar Drive escaped the fire and made their way to safety, said Ceres Fire Battalion Chief John Gomes.

Firefighters were dispatched at 11:30 p.m. Sunday evening and when they arrived the attic was well involved.

The flames burned through the roof of the home, which dates back to the 1940s or 1950s. Firefighters were able to stop the flames from spreading into a garage which was an addition to the house.

Tackling the fire required five engines and a Quint ladder truck and the assistance of Modesto City and Stanislaus Consolidated fire departments and a second battalion chief from Modesto. A total of 20 personnel were on scene with the last crew leaving at 4 a.m.

Tackling the fire required the assistance of Ceres police and the city public works to block off Whitmore Avenue so that a water supply line could be stretched across the road from the closest hydrants on Lunar Drive.

“It basically burnt the whole roof off the whole structure,” said Chief Gomes. “What didn’t burn sustained a lot of water damage.”

Damage has been estimated at $100,000.

The Red Cross was contacted about possible assistance for the displaced occupants but all resources were tied up with the Northern California fires, said Chief Gomes.