Third house fire in two weeks forces family out of home

A third family of five in two weeks is out of their home after a fire.

The home located at 1369 Toler received smoke damage forcing the Vineis family to spend the night in a motel.

According to East Fork Fire Investigator Terry Taylor, the fire was the third discovered in the home that day.

A 14-year-old girl in the home discovered a small fire in a can of lint in the laundry closet at about 6 p.m. Monday. The smoke detectors went off and 49-year-old Christopher Vineis put out the fire with a garden hose. The fire rekindled about 15 minutes later and the fire was put out again.

Nearly three hours later, at 8:57 p.m., James Jewell was visiting a neighbor when he noticed an orange glow at the front window.

Jewell pounded on the door and then he and the Vineis' 18-year-old son, Matthew, hooked up the garden hose and started pouring water through the front window, Taylor said.

Christopher Vineis kicked in the door to the bedroom, found the bed on fire and evacuated the house.

Firefighters from Gardnerville, Minden and the Gardnerville Ranchos responded to the blaze, which was quickly extinguished. The Red Cross put the family up in a motel for the night.

Taylor said the fire caused smoke damage throughout the house, but that there was no structural damage and that it didn't extend out of the front bedroom.

He believes the two lint fires were caused by spontaneous combustion, but is still investigating the fire in the bedroom.

"They have some renters insurance, but they are going to need help," Taylor said. "Most of the 14-year-old's stuff is gone."