NEWS > LOCAL

Two people, including a firefighter, were injured while containing the flames at a burning two-story home and rescuing a dog in east Morgan Hill.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department was dispatched to the blaze on the 2400 block of Pinto Court about 5:24 a.m. Thursday, according to Battalion Chief Richard Salazar. The fire set off two alarms and burned for nearly an hour before it was extinguished.

One firefighter suffered second degree burns to his neck while battling the blaze. He was treated at a local clinic and released Thursday afternoon, Salazar said. The home itself sustained about $200,000 in damages and is unlivable as a result of the fire. The cause is undetermined at this time.

The home's only resident, Merrianne Bryant, was able to escape the home before the flames grew with the help of her neighbors, according to her daughter and other witnesses.

Santiago Antuna, who lives across the street from the damaged home, said he and his wife heard faint crying that sounded "like a cat fight" about 5 a.m. When the noises didn't silence they went outside and saw "fire engines all over the place, and flames were coming out through the roof." He said he saw Bryant sitting on the curb outside the burning house.

He added that several other neighbors helped the woman to safety when the fire started. One of those, an off-duty Sheriff's deputy, had just come home from work and saw Bryant in the upstairs window and smoke coming out of the building, Antuna said. The deputy ran to get a ladder, and when he returned two neighbors from another house had already placed one below the window. The deputy then climbed up and grabbed Bryant, and carried her to the ground, according to Antuna.

Another neighbor said she was already awake before any of the commotion started, and suddenly she heard glass breaking. Rosa, who lives in a home next to the burnt one and declined to give her last name, said some of the burning debris landed in her yard. When she went outside, Rosa saw firefighters on the roof cutting vent holes with chainsaws, and minutes later saw "big flames" shooting out of the roof.

"It was something you didn't expect that early in the morning," Rosa said.

Bryant's daughter, Merrissa Bentley, 24, said her mother is staying with relatives until the home is repaired or she secures a new residence. Bentley said she and her sister grew up in the house, which the family moved into in 1993. Everything inside the home was destroyed, and Bentley said her mother is stricken with grief, more because of the destruction of "sentimental things" than the loss of expensive items.

"She lost baby pictures, high school graduation pictures, photo albums - a lot of memories we had in the house that are now not there," Bentley said.

"It was a terrible loss, and Merrianne is a wonderful person and a wonderful mom," she added.

At least two insurance adjusters were at the home Friday assessing the damage. One said the home suffered "easily a couple hundred thousand dollars" worth of damages.

Kip Martin of The Martin Group said Bryant lost everything that was inside the house.

About the same time one neighbor was carrying Bryant down from the burning house on a ladder, another neighbor who helped rescue the woman's startled dog was bitten on the face and suffered minor injuries, Salazar added. The man was treated by paramedics on the scene.

Bryant was also treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, but she declined further treatment, Salazar said.

Firefighters contacted the American Red Cross to help her find new living arrangements and replace prescription medications that were destroyed by the flames.

Salazar said the cause of the fire is under investigation, and he does not suspect foul play.

Bryant and her relatives are grateful for the prompt response by emergency crews, neighbors and the Red Cross.

"We really appreciate everything they did for our family and our mom," Bentley said.

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Michael Moore Michael Moore covers county and law enforcement issues for the Morgan Hill Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106, ext. 202, or mmoore@morganhilltimes.com.

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