Smoke Smell, Crackling Reported Before 'Full Blown Building Fire' Found In Menlo Park, Dept. Says

MENLO PARK, CA — Alert neighbors are being credited with helping fire officials quickly stop a Menlo Park fire that broke out over the weekend, spreading from a shed to a wood fence and tree canopy. The fire, which was first reported around 2:43 a.m. Sunday morning, caused about $50,000 in damage to a property, fire officials said.

Neighbors of a property at 360 Menlo Oaks Drive near U.S. Highway 101 said they smelled smoke and heard something crackling, according to Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman. Firefighters from the Menlo Park Fire Protection District were dispatched and on the way some more people called to say that they believed that a building, trees and fence were burning at the rear of property.

“It looked pretty dramatic when we arrived here with a building engulfed in fire and the fire climbing into the overhead tree canopy," Battalion Chief Calvert said in a news release. "We essentially hit it from two sides almost simultaneously. The crews made a good stop on the fire and getting it knocked down out of the trees and vegetation. We were fortunate there wasn’t any winds to move it around on us and that the neighbors caught it."

Firefighters had the blaze under control at 3:02 a.m. and stayed on scene for about three hours, Schapelhouman said.

Several "notable" fires have happened in the same neighborhood over the years, he said. One of those was deadly.

"No one was living in the shed and no one was injured this time, so we’re thankful for that and the quick action of the neighbors who called and brought this to our attention helped to keep the fire from spreading any further," Schapelhouman said.

The origin and cause of the fire have not yet been determined.

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone