EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two people were displaced after a double-wide home in Las Cruces was damaged by a wind-driven fire on Friday and reignited on Saturday, according to the Las Cruces Fire Department (LCFD).
Shortly after 3:15 p.m. on Friday, firefighters were dispatched to a fire in the 2400 block of Sonrisa Loop. Upon arrival, firefighters found fire coming from the front porch and front room of the double-wide home.
Firefighters encountered a wind-driven fire moving quickly through the home, which caused the floor to collapse in some areas. LCFD said crews had live electrical arcing at the front of the home that could not be shut down, so they were operating with extreme caution in that area.
Once firefighters searched the home to ensure there were no victims, all crews were removed from the interior and fought the fire from outside until the electrical hazard was contained and the fire was brought under control. The Red Cross also assisted the two people displaced.
However, there were multiple areas of hidden smoldering between the original asphalt shingle roof and the metal roof that was placed over it. The hidden smoldering caused the home to reignite at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning, according to LCFD.
Firefighters fought that fire until around 9 a.m. Crews then monitored the property through the day to ensure it would not re-ignite and get out of control.
The structure was estimated as a total loss from the first fire and sustained even more damage from the second fire. Fire investigators are working to determine the cause and dollar loss amounts for this incident, LCFD added.
“Las Cruces Fire Department thanks El Paso Electric for their quick response to help keep firefighters safe during this incident,” read the news release by LCFD.
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