Yuma home fire not out after all

When firefighters responded to a report of a possible house fire Monday night, they were told by the homeowner — who did not realize it was still burning — that he had already put it out.

The call to the Yuma Fire Department came in at about 7:30 p.m. Once on scene in the 2000 block of West 7th Street, firefighters found a charred door in the alley behind a home and spoke to the resident, who told them that there had been a fire in the exterior water heater compartment.

While speaking with the resident, firefighters noticed smoke coming from the home's eaves and discovered that the fire had spread into the attic. They then quickly extinguished the blaze.

The American Red Cross was called to provide assistance to the two adults and two children who lived in the home. Damage included the water heater compartment where the fire initially started and the attic.

YFD encourages people to report fires in the home so firefighters can confirm that they are truly out, as they can spread to unseen areas such as behind walls and ceilings or through attics and crawl spaces.

Fires can also smolder for several hours before bursting into flame and quickly spreading.

Firefighters have special equipment, such as thermal imaging cameras that allow them to “see” if there are heat sources hidden beyond view.

Most fatal fires happen during late night or early morning hours when people are sleeping and unaware of a fire's spreading. When you have a fire, officials say, report it — be safe and not sorry.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.