Cottonwood AZ (March 22, 2015) – Verde Valley Fire District crews responded to a residential fire on Rio Verde Drive in Cottonwood at approximately 4:12 am, Sunday morning. Upon arrival they found a single story home approximately 1,800 sq.ft. with smoke and heavy fire conditions venting from the roof.
The alarm went to a working fire and additional unit were dispatched. Crews quickly advanced hose lines and started an initial defensive mode attack and then transitioned to interior operations. No people were home at the time but unfortunately, 3 family dogs were discovered deceased.
Damage to the home was extensive with structural, smoke, and heat damage. The origin appeared to be in the utility room and is still under investigation. The fire was discovered by neighbors who called 911. There were no injuries.
Verde Valley Fire District was assisted with neighboring agencies including, Cottonwood FD, Verde Valley Ambulance Company, APS, Unisource, and YCSO.
1 Comment
I do hope they will investigate whether an APS smart meter had anything to do with the fire. Smart meters have been known to cause fires especially when they are installed on homes where the wiring may be older and not fully adequate to handle the new technology.