Five alarm fire in Vallejo damages four homes

VALLEJO, Calif. (KTVU - Fire crews battled a five alarm structure fire for more than an hour as it spread to other homes in Vallejo Saturday afternoon, officials said. 

The inferno started between two properties off Cassady Street and a row of Cyprus trees carried the blaze to other homes. 

"I smelled it first and then the trees caught immediately," said Peggy Roach, a neighbor. "They said there was a lot of gas and propane tanks and things back there. That's why it caught really fast." 

Vallejo fire officials aren't sure of the exact property where the fire started, nor are have they determined the cause. 

"We're determining which backyard it stared in," said Kevin Brown, Vallejo Fire Department. "Once it reached the row of Cyprus trees behind the homes, those trees lit up really quickly and, once they caught fire, it spread to several adjacent homes."

Neighbors said they complained to one homeowner about the amount of items he kept stored in the backyard. 

"There was so much stuff in the yard. I was walking on Friday and said, 'There's so much stuff in your yard, that's a fire waiting to happen,'" said Sandra Deering, a neighbor. "And now look."

By the time the fire was knocked down, one home was completely destroyed and three others had minimal damage. No injuries were reported.

The people in the three houses with minimal damage can return to their homes today.