Overview
- Fire crews answered three separate blazes in roughly 90 minutes early Sunday, beginning with a dumpster fire near 20th Street and Lathrop Avenue at about 12:05 a.m.
- Smoke alarms alerted four people and a dog who escaped a house fire near Brentwood Drive at about 1:09 a.m., with heavy damage to the southeast exterior and kitchen.
- A detached garage on Fifth Avenue was found fully engulfed around 1:39 a.m. and was declared a total loss while an adjacent garage suffered siding damage.
- Investigators found spent fireworks at multiple scenes, concluded improper disposal caused all three fires, and the American Red Cross is assisting residents displaced by the garage fire.
- Initial damage estimates are preliminary and may change, totaling roughly $6,000 for the dumpster and fence, about $97,000 for the house and its contents, and roughly $38,000 for the garage-related losses, highlighting the increased fire risk after holiday fireworks use.