A two-alarm fire destroyed a furniture store's warehouse and all the merchandise stored inside early Thursday, causing an estimated $100,000 in damage at the south Modesto business.
The fire occurred shortly after midnight at the California Furnitures store at 1328 Crows Landing Road, just north of Rio Grande Avenue.
When firefighters arrived, they saw flames coming from the rear of the business, said Capt. Jair Juarez of the Modesto Regional Fire Authority. Firefighters took a closer look and saw the flames had engulfed the warehouse, so they launched an interior attack on the blaze. Juarez said the firefighters knocked down a door and entered the building with two hoses.
The blaze was under control in about 20 minutes. Firefighters remained at the business for about two hours, making sure no smoldering spots were left behind.
There were no injuries reported, and the business was closed when the fire started.
Juarez said investigators had not determined the cause of the fire. He said it appeared to have started near the back of the business, but it was unclear whether the fire started inside the building.
Charred mattresses, drawers, bed frames and chairs were all that remained inside the gutted warehouse Thursday afternoon.
Juarez said the furniture in the store's showroom was not burned but that merchandise did sustain some water and smoke damage.
By Thursday afternoon, most of the furniture not burned in the fire had been moved out of the store.
The owners were not available for comment.
The blaze didn't threaten any nearby businesses along the Crows Landing Road commercial strip north of Hatch Road.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
