Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: The quick action of the Safford Fire Department kept fire damage at a minimum for a local business Saturday morning.
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – The alertness of a neighbor and the quick action of the Safford Fire Department kept a fire at a local business from becoming catastrophic early Saturday morning.
The volunteer Safford Fire Department was dispatched to the Safford Floor Coverings building at 628 W. 5th St. at about 6 a.m. regarding the building being on fire. A neighbor had noticed sparks coming from the roof and called 911.
Upon arrival, firefighters could see flames coming from the roof and forced their way into the building. Once inside, they saw there was no fire in the building and that it was only on the roof.
After the utilities were shut off, firefighters dragged a hose up a ladder to the roof and extinguished the fire.
According to Safford Fire Chief Clark Bingham, the blaze began as an electrical fire when some wires burned through conduit that was by an air conditioning unit. The fire caused damage to the roof and AC unit, but there was overall minimal damage to the building, according to Bingham.
“It was good the neighbor noticed the sparks coming from the building and the roof being on fire,” Bingham said. “At least there was no major damage to the business.”
The firefighters were finished with the job and back at the station by 7:30 a.m.
