Firefighters work against towering flames as a fully involved guest house fire burns along Bartlett Road on Monday, Aug. 17.
PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. - Three firefighters suffered heat exhaustion while battling a fierce structure fire that completely destroyed a guest house in Pinal County on Monday night.
What we know:
Regional Fire & Rescue Department crews responded to the blaze just after 7 p.m. at a home near West Bartlett and North Overfield roads. When they arrived, firefighters found a guest house fully engulfed in flames behind a larger main house. The occupants were safely evacuated, but the guest house was ultimately deemed a total loss.
Firefighters faced major logistical hurdles while fighting the flames, primarily due to difficult access and a lack of nearby water sources. Regional Fire Chief Steven Kerber said the long, curved gravel driveway was narrow and quickly became congested with emergency apparatus. While there was a fire hydrant on Overfield Road, it was more than 900 feet from the scene. Crews opted not to use it, as laying a hose that distance would have completely blocked access for responding mutual aid units.
Four area departments responded to the blaze, which destroyed the structure and sent one firefighter to the hospital for heat exhaustion. (Courtesy Steven Kerber, Regional Fire & Rescue Department)
Instead, firefighters relied on water tender shuttles to fight the blaze, an operation made difficult by the tight maneuvering space. Recognizing the need for extra resources in the rural residential area, Regional Fire called in mutual aid from the Casa Grande, Coolidge and Eloy fire departments.
Dig deeper:
Crews worked late into the early hours of Tuesday morning mopping up hot spots. Three Regional Fire firefighters suffered heat exhaustion during the multi-agency response. One of those responders was transported to Banner Casa Grande Medical Center for further treatment and observation.
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What we don't know:
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, Kerber said.
Map of the area where the guest house burned down:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Casa Grande Fire Department and Regional Fire & Rescue Department Chief Steven Kerber.