Fire burns home
Causes $325,000 in damage

Lake Havasu City firefighters responding to a late night house fire Saturday arrived to find the roof of the home engulfed in flames and smoke.

The Lake Havasu City Fire Department Dispatch Center received numerous calls Saturday around 11:30 p.m. of a house fire in the 1100 block of Sturgeon Drive.

First units with engine Truck 1 immediately noticed fire and smoke rising from the roof of the single-family residential home and quickly worked to keep the fire from spreading, electing to use a defensive tactic to prevent the fire from extending to nearby homes.

Don Mesisca, special teams technical rescue coordinator with the Lake Havasu City Fire Department said the roof did eventually collapse on the home.

No one was home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Fire crews first suspected the fire may have spread to the roof of the home next door. Their suspicions proved to be unfounded. Crews did spray water on the adjacent home as a precautionary measure. Occupants of the nearby home were able to escape without injury.

Residents of the Lake Hills Inn, a nursing home across the street from the damaged home, were moved to the opposite end of the building, due to heavy smoke blowing from the fire towards the nursing home.

Five Engine companies, one Ladder Company and a Battalion Chief were on-hand as crews brought the fire under control within 51 minutes.

Crews did stay on the scene an additional three hours mopping up hot spots and overhauling the home structure.

The home suffered heavy damages that are estimated to be around $325,000.

The owners of the home have been notified.

Fire crews were out Sunday cleaning up debris from the home. Mesisca said investigators are still uncertain what may have caused the fire, and it is still under investigation. He noted with the roof collapse investigators would have to dig under the roof to help determine the cause. More information is expected Monday.