San Manuel Miner
On Tuesday July 15, 2014, Pinal Rural Fire Rescue received an alarm at 8:22 a.m. from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office that there was a structure fire on S. Drillstone Ave., south of Mammoth. Pinal Rural had its first engine on the scene at 8:29 a.m. and found that a house was on fire.
The Mammoth Volunteer Fire Department assisted with fighting the fire. They provided an engine and four firefighters. Pinal Rural had two engines on the scene. San Manuel and Oracle fire departments were called but were unable to respond due to shortage of manpower and the need to protect their area. Tri City Med responded and assisted with rehab.
“Fighting the fire was a challenge,” said Pinal Rural Fire Chief Bud Paine. There were no fire hydrants in the area so engines had to be shuttled to Mammoth to fill their water tanks from the nearest hydrants. One engine would stay and fight the fire while two engines went to refill their water tanks. This played a factor in the rapid growth of the fire. Another factor was that the fleeing residents had left doors and windows open. This provides a huge oxygen source which accelerated the fire very quickly and made it impossible to do an inside attack on the fire.
Chief Paine would like to let the public know that if they have a home fire, make sure you get out safely but if you have time and it is not a danger to you make sure you shut any doors and open windows on the way out. This will help the responding fire department.
It was determined to be grease that ignited in the kitchen of the house and spread to the attic that resulted in the house being destroyed. Pinal Rural remained on the scene until 6:30 p.m. They returned the next afternoon and made sure there were no hot spots under the debris. No one was injured although a woman who was already on oxygen lost her portable oxygen tank. Paramedics provided her with oxygen and sat with her until the lady’s oxygen tank provider delivered a new tank.
Chief Payne would like to thank the Mammoth Volunteer Fire Department for their help, Tri City Med and the Town of Mammoth for letting them fill their water tanks from the hydrants.