Two fires destroy properties in Cameron

Two fires over the last week burned a residence and business to the ground in Cameron.

The Cameron Volunteer Fire Department responded about 1:20 a.m. on Saturday to the 1500 block of West 4th for a structure fire. Crews arrived to find a small building venting through the roof and attempted to gain entry but were forced to instead take up defensive actions. 

The building, which housed Stuck on You Children’s Boutique, was deemed a total loss. 

Cameron Fire Chief Henry Horelica said the blaze was likely caused by an electrical short on an outside wall. Three units and 12 personnel responded. Crews were on scene about three hours.

A Cameron home burned to the ground on Oct. 21.

Cameron Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire about 9:20 p.m. on Oct 21 in the 200 block of Partition Avenue. 

Crews arrived to find heavy fire in the kitchen and flames shooting out the front window and back patio door. After quickly knocking down the blaze, crews attacked the flames and made entry to put out the fire. 

Crews were on scene and left with no visible heat or smoke coming from the structure. A total of four units and 29 personnel responded. No one was hurt in the fire, though crews had to return to the home about 2:30 a.m. the next morning for a rekindle.

Firefighters arrived to find the structure fully involved and the roof caved in. Because the flames were so intense, Horelica said crews could not knock the fire down and went into defensive mode. A car in the driveway was consumed by the fire and the structure was ultimately termed a total loss. 

Horelica said a neighboring house on the south side suffered some heat damage. He said the five occupants of the home were away at the time the fire started. 

Investigators believe something was left unattended on the stove, sparking the blaze.