Fresno firefighters respond to multiple fires on Thanksgiving

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was a busy Thanksgiving for the Fresno Fire Department.

From the attic to the kitchen, house fires sparked all over Fresno on Thursday, keeping firefighters out of the firehouse and working hard.

The Fresno Fire officials say Thanksgiving is one of its busiest days of the year.

Last year, the fire department saw an increase in fire calls on the holiday.

This year was no different.

A handful of kitchen fires sparked early in the day. Meanwhile, the attic of a home on Hedges Avenue in west central Fresno also caught fire.

One of the larger fires started in an apartment at Butterfly Grove in central Fresno.

"Took our units 90 seconds to get here because we are lucky enough to have a company truck and battalion chief just right down the street, so we were here within 90 seconds," said Fresno Fire Battalion Chief Dan O'Meara.

Fortunately, swift action by fire crews stopped the fire from spreading to other apartments.

Still, two families could not return home until repairs could be made.

Fire officials across Central California are warning people to think about fire safety this time of year.

"Especially going into the holiday with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, everyone is celebrating. Everyone has extra lights, all those things plugged could cause a fire if overloaded," said Tulare Fire Captain Joanne Bear.

As we head further into the holiday season, fire officials remind people to clean their chimneys before starting their fireplaces. Don't leave anything on the stove unattended, and check to be sure your smoke detectors are working.