Quick action of a neighbor likely kept a home in the 200 block of Cottonwood Drive from being destroyed by fire early Sunday morning. At 1:26 am, the neighbor to the rear of the home on Cottonwood Drive, saw heavy fire coming from the rear of the nearby home. He immediately notified the Mesquite Police Communication Center of the fire and went to the residence to ensure there were no occupants in the structure. Unable to gain entry due to high heat in the structure, he grabbed a nearby garden hose and began spraying water on the intense fire in the living room until the arrival of Mesquite Fire & Rescue.
First arriving Engine 11 found heavy smoke emanating from the front of the structure, as well as fire visible in the rear of the home. With limited personnel on the initial arriving units, an exterior attack was initiated which resulted in a knock down of visible fire within 4 minutes of arrival. Crews were then able to enter the front of the structure and transition to an interior offensive fire attack and ensure the fire was completely out and had not extended to the attic and other parts of the structure. Firefighters also completed a primary life search and reported no victims in the structure.
With the arrival of mutual aid resources from the Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District as well as Bunkerville Fire, crews overhauled the structure to make sure there were no hot spots or danger of a rekindle. A secondary life search also did not reveal any human victims of the fire. Unfortunately a cat that was in the residence was overcome by smoke and did not survive the fire. The homeowner was not at home at the time of the fire.
Quick actions of Police and Firefighters limited actual fire damage to the living room, although the entire residence suffered from significant smoke damage. The home is not considered a total loss, although it will require considerable repairs to make it habitable again. The initial fire department estimate of damages is set at $40,000 but is subject to change pending the determinations of the homeowners insurance company. An investigation is underway, and the Mesquite Fire Rescue Fire Investigator is confident the cause and manner of this fire will be determined shortly.
