Fire guts Tohatchi home
Family of 7 uninjured but homelessProperty at 170 Choosi'gai in Tohatchi sits behind caution tape after it was destroyed in a fire Friday, November 28. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

TOHATCHI — A fire ravaged a Tohatchi mobile home Friday, but nobody was seriously injured.

The home at 170 Choosi’gai St. in Tohatchi erupted in flames around 10:30 a.m. An occupant had attempted to ignite a fire in the hearth using gasoline, according to McKinley West Fire Chief Rudy Nez, who took command of the scene when county firefighters arrived to aid Tohatchi BIA forces. Gallup Fire Department also responded with two firefighters and one engine, as did forces from Fort Wingate.

“We just provided some support,” Gallup Fire Lt. Mike Hoffman said Friday evening. “They’d pretty much knocked the fire down when we got there ... we just went in and did mop-up.”

A total of six trucks and tankers, as well as a backup water supply were needed to battle the blaze, which destroyed the home.

“It was a total loss,” Nez said.

He said there were seven occupants, four of them male and one of them a toddler. One man cut his wrist and required five stitches after he broke a window in order to exit the engulfed mobile home. Farmington Red Cross volunteers responded to provide the occupants with emergency shelter and supplies, according to Nez.

“Remind the community to start fires the old-fashioned way,” Nez said. “Don’t use any type of fuel.”