Fire Burns Close To Homes In Natomas
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A fire burned through the backyard of a Natomas home as multiple firefighting crews rushed to the scene.
"I don't know how this stuff happens because I didn't ask for it," homeowner Brett Holdaway said.
Out of breath from hours of cleaning, Holdaway says he was out for the day, only to return home to firefighters surrounding his property.
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"I just showed up and I saw all the damage to my back area. This cost me like 20, $22,000 in damage," Holdaway said.
Burning just feet away from multiple homes, the fire prompted neighbors to jump into action while waiting for fire crews to arrive.
"I kept it from my area as much as I could with my hose but it just kept going and it was so smokey I had to turn my head and water everything," neighbor Sebastian Cooley said.
Meanwhile, other neighbors say they felt helpless.
"It was really scary getting the notice at work. I have a dog that lives in my house and I was like, 'oh my god, can you get my dog out?' to my neighbor. I was worried my house was going to catch on fire," Ashley Labar said.
Once the fire was out, arson investigators went to work citing one person for misdemeanor negligence of a fire. Firefighters say no arrests were made because no one was hurt, there wasn't major property damage, and it was accidental. The potential for a small fire growing into something more is at the top of people's minds.
"We saw the whole city of Santa Rosa, Paradise, wildfires are in the news all the time and obviously it's scary to think that your house could burn down while you're at work and there's nothing you can do about it," Labar said.
Firefighters say the big saving grace is the low wind speeds we've been having. They were only blowing about 10 miles an hour this afternoon. If the had been much stronger, it would be a different story.
