Graham County resident dies in a house fire

Contributed File Photo: The Safford Fire Department (shown here in a training photo) was dispatched to a house fire early Sunday morning in which the resident died.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

GRAHAM COUNTY – A Graham County resident died in a house fire early Sunday morning. It was the first house fire fatality in Safford Fire Chief Clark Bingham’s 20-year career.

While a relative of the last known resident has been notified of the situation, due to the extent of the victim’s injuries, a forensic examination from the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner will be necessary for a positive identification, according to Graham County Sheriff P.J. Allred.

According to Fire Chief Bingham, the volunteer Safford Fire Department was dispatched at about 6:18 a.m. to a house fire at 7852 S. U.S. Highway 191, which is just north of Highway 366 (Swift Trail).

An off-duty officer was first on the scene and came upon a fully engulfed dual-story structure that contained a basement.

The Safford Fire Department managed to keep the blaze to the single structure, but – with the assistance of the Thatcher Fire Department – discovered the deceased male occupant in the home’s basement.

According to Bingham, the house was completely burned and nothing was left to show the point of origin or how the fire started. However, he said it appeared to have started in the basement where the deceased was located.

Fire crews were on the scene for more than six hours fighting the blaze and didn’t get home until about 1 p.m.