Stagecoach residence burns down

By Leslie Wood
Staff writer

GALLUP — Gallup fire personnel are investigating a suspicious fire at a vacant Stagecoach residence early Saturday morning.

A caller notified metropolitan dispatch of the blaze at 3:54 a.m., Fire Chief Robert Soto said.

Firefighters arrived at 805 Stagecoach and found the structure fully engulfed in smoke and flames. The house was used for storage and was not occupied at the time of the fire.

Soto said officials made the decision to call additional firefighters from surrounding areas, in addition to off-duty personnel, to the scene because of the magnitude of the blaze.

Personnel from Navajo Estates, Fort Wingate and McKinley West provided extra manpower and equipment to help fight the fire.

Soto said the structure is considered a complete loss, and the blaze started in the southeast end of the house’s roof.

Fire Marshal Raymond Ross said the fire has been classified as suspicious, but did not disclose specific details of the investigation.

“We’re not ruling out arson at this time,” Ross said but was not certain when the investigation would be complete.

“It’s hard to put these kind of things on a timeline,” he said.