An attic fire in the 900 block of West Calle Bocina in Tucson displaced a family of five from their home. A single call was made to 9-1-1 at 11:48 am from a passer-by reporting black smoke coming from the home.
The first Tucson Fire Engine arrived on scene at 11:56am and reported smoke and flames coming from the eaves of the home.
The crew pulled a hose line into the house but visibility was clear and temperatures were low, signs that the fire was in the attic space above. While inside, the crew was able to perform a quick search to ensure everyone was out safely.
The interior crew advised the ladder crew to perform an attic reset, a technique that uses a pointed nozzle to pierce through the roof from the top and spray water in the attic space like a sprinkler head.
The ladder crew controlled most of the flames by using the reset and an additional crew extinguished any remaining hot spots by spraying water through a vent on the side of the house.
Nine units consisting of 23 firefighters responded to the fire and controlled the fire 10 minutes after arriving. There were no injuries reported by firefighters. An electrical malfunction was determined to be the cause of the fire.
Red Cross was assisting the family of five that was displaced due to the damage in the attic. The family consisted of a 65 year-old male, 29 year-old male, 28 year-old female, 9 year-old male, and 8 year-old female. the investigation revealed that the cause of the fire was an electrical malfunction in the attic. No estimate of the damages i s available at this time.
Safety Message from the fire department: Please call 9-1-1 immediately if you see smoke or hear smoke alarms from the home of a neighbor minutes matter. Fires grow larger in size by the minute and the earlier the notification, the better chance the fire department has at potentially saving lives and reducing property damage.