A family of five plus two dogs were displaced from their home Friday west of Durango where a wood-burning stove caught the roof on fire.
The fire was reported at 7:21 a.m. at unit No. 35 in the Lightner Creek Mobile Home Park, 907 Lightner Creek Road (County Road 207).
Firefighters were able to save the home from total destruction, which means many of the family’s belongings were also saved, said Karola Hanks, fire marshal with Durango Fire Protection District. The fire started where the chimney meets the roof, she said.
The rental property had no smoke detectors and no carbon-monoxide detectors, which are required in rental units. Hanks reminded residents to check chimneys this time of year, when many stoves and fireplaces are being used for the first time this season.
“These folks happened to be up this morning, but the outcome could have been entirely different had they not been awake when the fire started, because we did not have the life-safety devices in place,” Hanks said. “Luckily, the three kids had just gotten on the bus and were headed out to school.”
shane@durangoherald.com
