FIRE DESTROYS HOMES NEAR CHAFFEE

CHAFFEE -- Firefighters battled a blaze for better than five hours Sunday night after a mobile home caught fire. The mobile home and a nearby old house were destroyed.

Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrel said the property along Route A about two and one-half miles from Chaffee belonged to Larry Goetz. According to witnesses, the homes were apparently empty at the time of the fire, and no one was injured during the incident.

The Oran and Delta fire districts and the Chaffee and Scott City fire departments were called to assist the NBC Fire District in battling the blaze after the Scott County 911 Center received a call at about 8:30 p.m. Some 20,000 gallons of water were used to battle the fire, and firefighters did not leave the scene until about 2 a.m.

The fire apparently originated in a mobile home that was destroyed by the fire, said John Sachen of the Delta Fire District. An older home on the site that was at least 75 years old but not used as a residence was also heavily damaged. A backhoe was eventually brought in for safety precautions while firefighters worked in the remains of the building.

The cause of the fire is undetermined because of extensive damage to the two structures. A large storage shed and barn full of hay were exposed but unharmed by the fire.

"The fire was fought very aggressively," said Sachen. "It was a very well fought fire, and it's one of those things of whether it was in the city or in a rural area. There was a continuous flow of water."

Sachen said a rehabilitation center was set up at the scene to provide cool air and fluids for the firefighters. That center was a necessary precaution because continued exposure to extreme temperatures can pose a safety hazard, he said.

"Although hot and humid weather conditions weren't bad enough to affect firefighting, it was certainly welcome to have a rehab center with a blower and cold water," he said. "It usually has an effect later in firefighting when the damage is contained but the fire still needs to be put out. That's when it can cause fatigue that might cause a person to lose sight of safety concerns."