Fire destroys home south of Safford
|
|
A fire erupted early Friday morning and completely destroyed a house south of Safford.
Firefighters and police were dispatched to the fire at 8746 South Cheyenne Drive at around 6:23 a.m.
According to Safford Assistant Fire Chief Tony Goodman, the residence was fully engulfed upon arrival, and the best they could do was to contain the blaze to the single structure. The residence is located just east of the Federal Correction Institution at Safford.
Initially, rescuers were told of a possible victim who might still be inside the structure, but that report turned out to be false.
Goodman said he was relieved the report of the victim was false because "there was no going in when we arrived on scene."
According to a Graham County Sheriff's report, a resident of the home, Timothy Daniels Jr., awoke when the fan in his room stopped. He then smelled smoke and found that a hole in the wall behind a couch was on fire. The report states Daniels Jr. attempted to put out the fire and locate his father, who owns the home. When he could do neither, he escaped from the fire.
A neighbor, Michael Clampitt, told police he wet a blanket and used it for protection when he, too, entered the fiery structure in an attempt to locate Timothy Daniels Sr.
Daniels Jr. and Clampitt suffered minor burns and were treated on scene by paramedics from Southwest Ambulance. Daniels Sr. had apparently left the residence before the fire started and was located a short while later.
Goodman said despite a thorough examination by the fire department, the cause of the fire has not been determined.
