Fire quickly engulfed the garage of a Hanford home on Tuesday afternoon, but was held in check by a neighbor with a garden hose until fire crews arrived .

Richard Hernandez, a 54-year-old former volunteer firefighter, said he was painting the trim on his Hawk Street home when he smelled smoke and saw his neighbor's detached garage belching smoke.

"The garage was completely engulfed in flame," Hernandez said.

By the time he reached the structure, the damage was extensive. The automatic garage door had melted from the heat, he said. Several small explosions were heard from outside, likely gas cans and a lawn mower bursting into flames, Hernandez said.

He grabbed the backyard garden hoses while another man rushed inside to wake the house's sole occupant, who was apparently asleep on the couch.

"There was no way I could put it down with a garden hose," Hernandez said. "I was just hoping to keep it contained until the fire department arrived."

Hernandez said he used one hose to fight the flames and another to drench himself with water. He said the heat of the fire was enough to make his shorts steam and to singe the hair right off his bare legs.

He positioned himself between the residence and the garage, a space roughly 8 feet wide, to keep the fire from burning across the yard to the house.

"I kept the house and the roof wet, but mostly I tried to keep the side garage door from completely burning through," he said.

Firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes of the 1:30 p.m. blaze. Calls for comment about the incident were not immediately returned on Tuesday afternoon.

The damage to the garage was extensive, enough to completely ruin the structure and the vehicle parked inside. A projected damage cost was not yet available.

"If the fire department hadn't gotten there when they did, up to three houses could have gone up in flames," Hernandez said.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(Nov. 18, 2009)