Local Fire Extinguished In Fifteen Minutes

A local residence caught fire last Thursday, July 3rd. Only one resident, Connie Kreuger, who was coming home from the grocery store was home during the fire and was lucky enough to escape without injury. One resident had tried to extinguish the fire before it had gotten out of control. "When I got there, there was nobody there and flames were coming out of the garage. I carry a bunch of fire extinguishers, but by the time I grabbed one the flames were twice as high as when I pulled up," said Carlos Casarez, local resident, who had just visited a neighbor of Kreuger's the day before. "Once it was that large I knew I wouldn't be able to put it out, so I called 911. They arrived within 7 or 8 minutes." Although the fire completely engulfed the garage section of the home and completely burned the large SUV inside, local fire fighters arrived to the scene at 11:39 a.m. and were able to extinguish the fire in fifteen minutes, preventing any further damage to the residence or surrounding homes. “Our team was able to keep the fire contained in the garage and away from the main living part of the home,” said Colton Fire Captain Tom de Bellis. The Colton Fire Department and Engine 23 from the Grand Terrace Fire Department, who happened to be at a neighboring grocery store and noticed the smoke, prevented the worst with their quick response. Fire fighters, paramedics, and search and rescue teams were all on standby during the fire. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire, one witness testimony stated that the fire had started from the vehicle in the garage. "I'm hoping that the woman involved is okay. It's pretty traumatic to have your house burn down like that," said Casarez.