Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Four Cats Presumed Dead in Yuma Motorhome Fire

Yuma Fire Department
A firefighter with the Yuma Fire Department watches for hot spots to flare up after a motorhome was doused Thursday night at Friendship Park. Four cats are presumed dead as a result of the blaze.

Two cats were injured, and four are presumed dead, after a Thursday night motor home fire.

None of the human occupants were harmed.

Mike Erfert, of the Yuma Fire Department, says the fire was reported at about 7:23 pm, at Friendship Park. The public park is next to Desert Sun Stadium, just to the west of Avenue A.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a large motor home in the parking lot with heavy smoke and flames coming from it.

The first two engines to arrive on the scene were able to quickly knock out the fire.

The motorhome’s eight occupants -- four adults and four teenagers -- were not injured.

There were three dogs that were able to be safely evacuated.

At least six cats also were in the motor home at the time of the fire, with two known to have made it out.

The two cats that survived did receive some fire related injuries and were left in the care of Animal Control.

One deceased cat was removed from the motor home, no others were found.

At the time of the fire, the parking lot was full of other vehicles involved in recreational activities going on at the park.

No other vehicles were damaged.

The motor home sustained serious damage, and the American Red Cross was called to the scene, to aid the family.

Chris McDaniel is a Yuma native and fourth generation graduate of Yuma High School. He began his print journalism career at the Yuma Sun as a reporter in 2009. He later worked in the Pacific Northwest as an editor for Peninsula Daily News, as arts editor for The Port Townsend and Jefferson County Leader, and as publisher for a small weekly newspaper in the badlands of Montana. He is a graduate of Peninsula College, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management degree. He has served as host for KAWC's Morning Edition and All Things Considered and spends much of his time gathering reports from the field in Yuma and La Paz Counties.
Related Content