Propane leak ignites trailer fire

A mobile home fire ignited by a propane leak Monday morning displaced a Yuma family of six. The American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter provided food, clothing and shelter Wednesday to the two adults and four children.

The Yuma Fire Department received a report of smoke coming from a mobile home at the Cottonwood Trailer Park near 19th Avenue and Colorado Street. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 10 a.m. and found a neighbor trying to put out the flames with a water hose.

After firefighters extinguished the flames, they ventilated the home and made sure the fire hadn't spread.

“It looks like the cause was an accidental propane tank leak,” Kayla Holiman, fire inspector, said.

The fire damaged the back end of the mobile home. Some of the family was home at the time of the fire, but no one was injured, Holiman said.

The flames also damaged electrical wiring, leading Arizona Public Service to shut off power to the home.

The Red Cross provided the family with a temporary stay at a hotel. “It's just short-term to get them back on their feet,” Red Cross spokesman Brian Gomez said.

He noted the family didn't request assistance until Wednesday. “Sometimes people go a day or two and then they don't have a place to stay and they'll call us.”

The family also received financial assistance, Gomez added.

Mara Knaub can be reached at mknaub@yumasun.com or (928) 539-6856. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSMaraKnaub or on Twitter at @YSMaraKnaub.