ST. GEORGE — A man was left with nothing but his dog and the clothes on his back after his trailer burned down last Thursday in Beaver Dam, Arizona — not even shoes.
At approximately 6:15 p.m. MT, the Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire District was paged to a trailer fire near mile marker 3 on U.S. Route 91, Fire Chief Jeff Hunt told St. George News. A Bureau of Land Management Ranger also arrived on the scene.
Despite arriving quickly, the trailer was fully engulfed and “almost completely consumed,” Hunt said, adding that “a guy was just standing there in his shirt and his pants with his dog in his arm.”
While trailers often burn quickly, this incident “happened really fast,” Hunt added, positing that the blaze was fueled by propane or an appliance in the home.
The area is frequented by people who live in pull-behind trailers and the man had moved his home away from the others. Hunt said the man lived full-time in the trailer after he’d “fallen on hard times.”
He had gone to lay down for a nap as the rain had cooled the air, Hunt said. He heard a pop but couldn’t find the source and attempted to sleep again. As he began to doze, he realized there was “smoke like crazy.”
“‘So I just grabbed my dog and headed out the door,’ he says, ‘I run out a few steps — I turn around to look, and there was this fire in every window,'” Hunt quoted the man as saying.
The cause of the fire is undetermined.
The man and his small dog escaped uninjured, but he was left with nothing but his shirt and pants and was initially shoeless. However, Hunt said his neighbors gave him a pair of “sandal-looking” shoes, even though they did not get along.
Additionally, the fire district gave him a blanket because the evening was cold and wet. Because the fire happened on BLM land, the fire district asked the ranger to help the man figure out his next steps, and Hunt said he was unsure what happened to him.
Regional Communications Director Melody Birkett with Red Cross’s Arizona and New Mexico Region told St. George News that the man had contacted the nonprofit for assistance. Still, the region has not yet reached him. He may be receiving assistance in Nevada, where he is reportedly staying with relatives.
Because people typically have about two minutes to escape a house fire, Birkett suggests packing an emergency preparedness kit, so they can “just pick it up and walk out.” The pack could include copies of important paperwork, three days of food and water, a radio, a flashlight and blankets.
For those with pets or kids, the bag could include the necessary supplies to care for them. A full list of suggestions can be found here.
Individuals who need assistance after a disaster can visit Red Cross’s website or call them at 1-800-733-2767, Birkett said, adding that people can also learn more by downloading their app at the links listed at the bottom of this page.
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