The streets were packed with more than fifteen fire trucks and more than a hundred people gathered around. Smoke billowed everywhere as neighbors discussed details. A house was on fire downtown, on H Street at 14th, across from Brew It Up and Music Circus.

While on the SacramentoPress.com bike I heard the fire engines roaring and saw the smoke. I quickly rode on over to the scene of the fire.

Rob Duncan, the upstairs neighbor said he was just hanging out in his apartment when two of the neighbors came scrambling down the stairs screaming “Call the fire department, call the fire department!!”

Duncan claims that at first “It looked like just a bit of smoke, then suddenly it was up in flames.” He says that his neighbors were out the door so quickly that he hasn’t heard any other details of what has happened.

As I was leaving the scene firemen were standing on what is now a charred porch. Although the porch was still intact, everything else appeared to be completely black. The firemen helped dust ashes off one another as more went back in, to be positive that the flames were completely out.