Man, Dog Narrowly Escape Duplex Fire

A man and his dog escaped safely from a two-alarm duplex fire near Capitola on Saturday.

Late Saturday afternoon, fire dispatchers received a call about an electrical odor and flames seen at a duplex in the 600 block of 41st Avenue, a spokesman for the Central Fire District said. A short time later, there were several reports that the building was engulfed in flames.

Fire crews arriving on the scene found that one half of the duplex was in flames, with smoke coming from the windows. The fire had spread quickly from room to room inside the home and to a truck parked in the driveway, fire officials said.

Firefighters aggressively attacked the blaze from the outside. It took about an hour to get the fast-moving fire under control.

Crews kept the blaze from spreading to the duplex's other residence.

A resident who was at home when the fire broke out and his dog exited the building safely.

Officials said the fire appears to have started in the home's garage, where motorcycles, batteries and fuel were stored. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

—Bay City News