Fire destroys Ponderosa Hills home

Five people escaped a house fire on the 20100 block of Canyonview Drive in Ponderosa Hills early Saturday morning.

Mike Smith and Darren Green were sleeping in the house when the fire started.
 

 “I heard Mike say the house was on fire,” Green said. “I jumped up and made sure everybody was out of the house. Then I closed as many doors as I could.”

He suffered smoke inhalation, but declined treatment at the time.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Barry Rudolph credited Green and Smith for doing everything right.

“They made sure everyone was out and safe first. Then Green closed as many doors as he could. That slowed the fire down until firefighters could get on scene.”

Owners Deanne and Aaron Rafferty were away when the fire started, as was another tenant, who had spent the night elsewhere. Deanne Rafferty is Mike Smith’s mother.

The Red Cross was called to help, and PG&E fixed downed power lines.

Although the exterior of the two-story house remained standing, it was a total loss, Rudolph said.

He estimated the damage at $300,000 to the building and $30,000 to contents and said at least one vehicle was destroyed.

Rudolph said the fire was reported at 5:28 a.m.

Responding to the fire were Tuolumne County Fire Protection District, Twain Harte Community Service District’s Fire Department, Tuolumne County Fire’s Mono Village station, Cal Fire engines from Twain Harte and a breathing support unit from Columbia College.  

“This is a good reminder to be sure smoke alarms and wood-burning stoves have all been checked and winterized,” Rudolph said. “Neither one of those may have been a factor in this fire, but they are in most fires this time of year.”

He said the fire is believed to have started on the first floor of the two-story house. The cause had not been determined as of Saturday afternoon.