Fire destroys home in Lake County town of Nice

Flames destroyed an unoccupied home in Nice on Wednesday, sending smoke billowing into the sky that could be seen across the northern stretch of Clear Lake.

The fire was reported at 1:47 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the 6800 block of Floyd Way, said Northshore Fire Protection District firefighter Joel Cecil. The smoke could be seen as far away as Lakeport, located six miles away, he said.

When the first fire engine arrived, crews found a double-wide trailer about two-thirds engulfed in flames. The home, which sits amid a canopy of trees, had been unoccupied for some time, Cecil said. Little could be done to save it, so firefighters assumed a defensive “surround and drown” tactic, getting fire hoses around the trailer to ensure the flames did not spread to other structures, trees or brush.

“We knew there was no one inside and there was no need to go inside,” Cecil said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @renofish.