Two older residents were taken to the hospital after a fire at a single-family home in Ceres, the Modesto Fire Department said. Firefighters and Ceres police worked together to get both people out of the house.
The fire was reported in the 2300 block of Joy Avenue, with two people inside unable to escape on their own, according to CBS Sacramento. The department said Ceres police officers were working to rescue one resident when firefighters arrived; Modesto Fire crews helped rescue the second. Smoke was coming from the single-family home.
Both residents received advanced life support at the scene and were taken to Doctors Medical Center, and the cause of the fire remained under investigation, as noted by CBS Sacramento.
Fire risk and prevention for older adults
Federal data provide context for the ages of the residents rescued: the U.S. Fire Administration reports that the fire death rate for adults 65 and older rose 26% from 2014 to 2023. In 2023, adults in that age group had 2.5 times the fire death risk of the general population. For prevention, the administration's Fire-Safe Seniors Program includes home assessments to identify fire hazards and determine whether older adults' homes need smoke alarms, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
A Separate Burton Drive Rescue Earlier This Year
The Joy Avenue rescue is not the only recent Ceres house fire to send someone to the hospital. Back in February, Modesto Fire crews were dispatched around 6:25 a.m. to a reported structure fire in the 3000 block of Burton Drive, according to the Modesto Bee. That account describes a single person rescued from the home, rather than the two elderly residents described in the Joy Avenue incident. It is not clear from available reporting whether the two incidents are connected in any way.
The Bee reported that the rescued person received advanced lifesaving measures from firefighters and ambulance personnel before being taken to a hospital; the person's condition was not immediately released. A firefighter who experienced a medical issue was also hospitalized, treated and released. The cause remained under investigation by the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit.
Modesto Fire Has Covered Ceres Since 2021
Ceres has relied on Modesto Fire for emergency response since giving up its own fire department in June 2021 and contracting with the Modesto agency for fire protection and emergency medical services, per the Ceres Courier. The arrangement provides paramedic firefighters capable of delivering advanced life support to the community, the outlet noted. During 2024 alone, Modesto Fire responded to 5,947 calls for service in Ceres, including 4,589 EMS calls and 406 fire calls.
Citywide, Modesto Fire's Operations Division responds to more than 1,400 fires each year, according to the City of Modesto. The department currently operates six basic-life-support engine companies, three advanced-life-support engine companies and two basic-life-support truck companies out of 10 fire stations. All sworn Modesto Fire employees are trained to the EMT level to provide basic life support, and 20 members are trained as EMT-paramedics able to deliver advanced life support — the kind of care that proved critical for the residents pulled from both Ceres homes.
