Overcharged battery leads to Foothills fire

An overcharged battery led to a fire in the Foothills that destroyed a motor home, a residence, and damaged an RV and SUV, according to a Rural/Metro official.

Curt Foster, Rural/Metro fire investigator, explained that a couple was charging their motor home in the proper electrical outlet on their property at 13763 E. 53rd St. in the Foothills, in preparation for a trip. He said the motor home sat roughly five feet from the couple's home.

Foster said that the battery began overcharging, causing one of the battery cables to overheat, which led to the fire that broke out around 1 a.m. Saturday.

Foster said the couple's motor home and residence were "totally destroyed," and a recreational vehicle and sport utility vehicle on property to the west were damaged.

One woman was taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center for smoke inhalation. Foster did not have an update on her condition, but said that she was taken to the hospital for "precautionary reasons."

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Sun Associate Editor-Assignments Jackie Leatherman contributed to this report. She can be reached at jleatherman@yumasun.com or 539-6849.