PARAGONAH — An older model motorhome being used for storage caught on fire in a backyard in Paragonah late Tuesday night.
The incident was reported shortly before midnight on property located near 200 South and 300 East, Paragonah Fire Chief J. Royce Barton told Cedar City News.
“It was totally involved when I arrived,” Barton said, adding that he reached the scene at about 11:55 p.m.
Also responding were several other Paragonah Fire Department personnel assigned to two pumper trucks and one tender.
Firefighters had the blaze extinguished within about 15 minutes, Barton said, adding that the crews remained at the scene for another hour or so afterward cleaning up and making sure none of the debris flared up again.
The motorhome, which was approximately 40 years old, was filled with newspapers, magazines, pictures and heirlooms, Barton said.
“It had been parked there for years,” he said.
No injuries were reported.
“That’s the fear about motorhomes, is that they go up so fast,” Barton said. “The first thing we had to determine is if anyone was in it.”
Although nobody was inside the burning vehicle, a few residents had come out of the adjacent house and were outside spraying the flames with a garden hose when firefighters arrived, Barton said.
“We had to get them back immediately to protect them,” he said.
Barton said accessing the backyard was somewhat of a challenge for the fire crews.
“It was in the middle of a two-acre lot and we had to gain access through gates,” he said.
Barton said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. He described the damage as “a total loss.”
“The whole back end of it was gone, and what wasn’t burned inside we had to stir and spread it,” he said.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire and limit the damage to the vehicle itself.
“It did not spread anywhere,” Barton said. “There wasn’t any damage to the house or the sheds that were next to it.”
This report is based on information provided by law enforcement or emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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