Fire engulfs family mobile home north of Durango

A mobile home was lost to a fire Saturday morning at Durango Regency mobile home park, said Durango Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Randy Black.

A family was in the process of moving out of the home north of Durango when the fire took place, he said.

An off-duty firefighter responded to the fire at 9:51 a.m., and by 9:53 a.m., DFPD was notified. The fire protection district sent crews consisting of two fire engines, one ladder truck and one tanker in addition to two ambulances.

Fifteen firefighters arrived at 8 Palomino Drive, the home of Sean Douesnard, plus investigator Kristina Stillwaugh, Fire Marshal Karola Hanks, a battalion chief and Black.

No injuries were reported Saturday morning. The family owned several cats and dogs that managed to escape the blaze, Black said.

He described the damage to the mobile home as “a total loss.” The fire was fully involved by the time the off-duty firefighter had arrived, he said.

The mobile home’s fireplace piping was not up to code and was determined to be the source of the fire, Black said Tuesday. A gap in the fireplace pipe allowed the fire to escape into an attic or crawlspace between the living area’s ceiling and the roof.

“The fire originated there,” he said. “The fireplace pipe was not installed per code. It sounds like it was the wrong type of pipe and it was installed incorrectly, so there was a gap in the pipe that allowed the fire out into that attic space.”

Fireplaces and wood stoves are common causes of house fires, particularly after a cold snap such as the one Durango experienced last week. Black recommended that people regularly maintain their fireplaces and stoves and have them cleaned at least once yearly.

cburney@durangoherald.com