House, contents, total loss in Tortosa-area house fire

A woman and her son who left for a quick trip to the store late Saturday night arrived home at about midnight to find it fully engulfed in flames resulting in a total loss of the home and everything inside, a Maricopa Fire official said.

Before firefighters arrived a neighbor who had noticed flames at about 11:45 p.m. knocked several times and then opened the unlocked door and began hollering warnings to get out of the house.

Not long after, firefighters searched the home in the 34000 block of West Velazquez for anyone who might have been inside.

“You almost have to assume someone is in the house if you don’t see someone standing in the front yard,” said Mark Boys, division chief for the Maricopa Fire Department.

Boys said the firefighters had to be called outside, however, because flames were spotted above them in the attic.

“Seconds after they pulled out, the roof began to collapse,” he said.

Following the initial cave-in, the rest of the second-story rental home’s roof collapsed amidst heavy flames and smoke.

“Whenever they believe someone is in there, they are going to risk a lot to make sure everyone is out,” Boys said. “They are in a high-risk situation.”

Meanwhile, the second story of a home directly to the east began to absorb heat and sustained some damage as it began to smoke.

“All of the units were on the scene, including the ladder,” Boys said. Casa Grande Fire responded to handle all incoming calls during the operation.

“We have to make sure the rest of the city is protected if we roll on a fire,” Boys said.

Maricopa Fire evacuated residents of homes in the immediate vicinity within Tortosa until the fire was contained at about 1:05 a.m. Sunday.

“The crew did an excellent job of making sure it was contained,” Boys said adding that the fire-damaged house and all of its contents were a total loss.

“It’s very devastating, of course,” Boys said. “We have someone who is displaced from their home and are making sure they are taken care of as best as we can.”

That included notifying the Grand Canyon Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Boys said the cause of the fire is under investigation, although preliminary findings suggest that the fire started somewhere around the master bedroom or master bath area.

Maricopa Police provided security as the Maricopa Fire Department dealt with the burning house according to Sergeant Stephen Judd of Maricopa Police.

Submitted photo by Chris Holland