Tuesday afternoon, Prescott Fire responded to a call of smoke in a home in The Ranch subdivision. Crews were able to see smoke from a distance and upgraded the call to a working fire. Crews arrived to find smoke coming from the eaves of a multi-level, 4,000-square foot home; everyone inside had evacuated. Crews entered the home to find the source of the fire, which proved to be difficult. A second search of the house found the fire in a crawlspace. Officials say as the crawlspace fire was knocked down, fire began coming from different rooms and walls and ceilings in the house, as well as the attic. After about an hour, firefighters were ordered away from the house as exterior walls began to buckle. At one point, over 2,000 gallons of water per minute was being applied to the structure to try to douse the flames. It took crews 4-hours to knock down most of the fire. The occupant of the home stated that he was working on the top floor when his smoke alarms started sounding and he found the lower levels filled with smoke. Damage to the home is over $1-million. The cause of the fire, which destroyed the house, is under investigation.
