Jon Johnson File Photo: A firefighter examines the aftermath of a lightning-caused house fire in Central in June 2021. A total loss trailer fire in Fort Thomas on Tuesday is believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring.
By Jon Johnson
FORT THOMAS – What started out as an act of charity ended with tragedy when an electrical fire took the belongings of two occupants of a residence in Fort Thomas on Tuesday.
Police and EMS were initially dispatched at about 3 p.m. to N. Fort Thomas River Road regarding a trailer on fire. Fort Thomas Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire, but the single-wide trailer was a total loss.
According to a Graham County Sheriff’s Office report, two occupants of the residence suffered minor burns. After initially denying medical attention, the occupants were treated by Pima Rescue EMS.
According to information in the police report, the trailer was recently given to the occupants and the electricity had only been on for about a week after having been shut off for years.
The male occupant of the residence told a deputy that he had replaced fuses in the breaker box recently and that he saw smoke in the area of the floor near the breaker box. Flames then started in the same area and caught trash on fire on the outside of the residence, according to the occupant.
The man said they attempted to use a fire extinguisher but weren’t able to douse the flames. The man had minor burns to his chest and the woman had minor burns to her hand. The pair said they lost about $4,000 in cash and tools in the fire, as well as all of the medical supplies for the woman, who is diabetic.
After a preliminary examination and a review of the facts presented, the cause of the fire was listed as an electrical problem near the breaker box, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
