Fire Crews Credit Neighbor's Warning With Saving Lives In North Highlands Fire
NORTH HIGHLANDS (CBS13) — A fast-moving fire tore through a North Highlands neighborhood on Monday, damaging two homes and an outbuilding as homeowners ran for safety.
Edith Burciaga was just coming home from work when she saw smoke coming from the back of her neighbor's home. She then ran from door-to-door screaming to get her neighbors out and call 911.
"I ran to my neighbor. She was sitting outside of her garage and I said, what happened? There's all this smoke behind your house and she said, what?" she said. "Her mom was inside and she was scared because she was sleeping. And then I started knocking on the neighbors doors because the fire got higher and it started at the next houses."
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies who saw the smoke helped evacuate residents as more than 60 firefighters moved in, battling flames from two different streets on two different homes and an outbuilding.
"It eventually did spread to the attic and roof of the house next door and did significant damage to the house with the main fire and also caused some very minor, yet damage to the exterior of an outbuilding in the house behind it," said Sac Metro Fire Capt. Michelle Eidam.
A battalion chief was involved in a crash on the way to the fire on Watt Avenue, but was not hurt, and one firefighter was taken to UC Davis Medical Center for burns, but perhaps the biggest challenge for crews was access.
"People were driving by just to take pictures and take video. They physically - they're cars blocked the road - so that our fire apparatus couldn't get in," she said.
Damage is now estimated at $160,000 and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Eidam credits Burciaga's quick thinking and fast action for keeping the destruction from becoming deadly.
"Their lives were saved because somebody knocked on their door and said, 'Your house is on fire!' We appreciate anytime someone does that." she said.