Fire destroys home south of Safford
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A Gila Valley man was surprised by loud popping noises and awoke to the sound of his trailer burning down around him around 6:45 Wednesday morning.
According to Safford Fire Chief Mike Rhodes, the homeowner lit a fire in his wood-burning stove and then fell asleep. Rhodes said the stove was the probable cause of the fire.
The homeowner attempted to fight the fire with a garden hose before firefighters arrived but was not effective. He was later taken by Southwest Ambulance to the Mount Graham Regional Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. Three of the man’s dogs perished in the blaze, and only one survived.
Safford firefighters contained the fire to just the trailer, but Rhodes called it a total loss.
In addition to the fire, they also had to contend with a live downed power line that burned off the house.
Rhodes said a smoke detector would have alerted the man to the fire sooner and probably would have allowed the man to get himself and his pets out without harm.
This was the second fire caused by a wood-burning stove in the Safford area in less than two weeks.
On Dec. 27, a residence on Eighth Avenue in Safford caught fire as well.
In that fire, insulation was placed too close to a wood-burning stove’s chimney, causing it to smolder and catch the attic on fire.
Retired firefighter Matt Barney saw smoke coming out of the house at around 9 p.m. He then alerted the homeowner, who was asleep at the time, and called 911.
Rhodes said firefighters managed to keep the damage to the attic and the room where the stove was located.
He said people can’t be too cautious with their wood-burning stoves.
“Keep the area around the stove clean,” he said. “Keep your chimney clean. Follow the manufacturer’s directions and make sure you have proper venting.”
Rhodes also said everyone should own a smoke detector.
“It’s the cheapest piece of life insurance you can buy,” he said.
Rhodes said it is important to remember to test and clean smoke detectors regularly as well.
