2 trailers destroyed, goats killed after fire in Madera County

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — Crews worked to contain a fire that destroyed two trailers and killed several goats Friday afternoon.

The call came in around 1:30 p.m. The fire broke out in the area of ​​Sycamore Street and 22 1/2 Avenue in Fairmead.

CAL FIRE/Madera County Fire says flames destroyed two trailers, three cars and two animal enclosures.

Five goats were killed in the fire and two others were seriously injured.

Firefighters say windy and dry conditions have affected firefighting efforts.

“Now we're coming into summer with warmer, drier conditions and the grass has gotten drier,” Battalion Chief Andrew Overbay said.

“In addition to the winds, we had winds of 10 to 15 mph.”

Brenadina Campos saw the flames heading towards her house. She said she could hear loud bangs and explosions as she watched the flames move toward her house.

“I was afraid my house would burn, but we kept spraying water,” Campos said.

“We had plenty of water. I have plenty here and he had water there. I used buckets and a shovel to plant dirt and the fire was shortened.”

Campos tells Action News his concern turned to helping his neighbor.

“I told the man his goats were going to burn,” Campos said. “He opened the door so they could escape.”

The cell phone shared with ABC 30 also showed thick plumes of smoke coming from the fire.

The Madera County Sheriff's Office also issued evacuation orders for people living in the area.

“Approximately three residential structures were immediately threatened by this fire,” Chief Overbay said. “Luckily, they had permission”

Fairmead Primary School is also less than a mile away.

At the time of the fire, the sheriff's office said the school was not under threat. The Chowchilla Elementary School District says it was notified of the fire and deputies stopped by the school to check in.

The district says although students were not evacuated, they remained inside for safety reasons.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries, but was treated at the scene and released.

The fire was contained to 11 acres.

Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the fire, but they have a reminder for the public.

“You really have to keep your own property mowed and plowed with these disc lines,” Chief Overbay said. “By doing this, you can save a lot of your belongings.”

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