Early Sunday Morning Fire In Guymon

An early morning mobile home fire Sunday leaves a couple homeless but very fortunate to be alive.

Guymon Firefighters responded to a 911 call of a structure fire at 3:23am Sunday morning. On Firefighters arrival to 15 Joyce Drive, they found heavy smoke and fire coming from the back portion of the home. ź??Flames were seen coming from the back door and roof area from several blocks awayź?ť, stated Assistant Fire Chief and scene commander Grant Wadley.

Firefighters were quickly able to make entry to the home and find the fire located midway in the kitchen and extending the entire way towards the rear of the mobile home. It took Firefighters approximately 20 minutes to get the fire under control and over an hour to extinguishing smoldering areas in the ceiling and walls. The entire back portion of the home was destroyed by fire with the front portion remaining intact and only affected by heavy smoke damage.

Occupants of the home, Mr. and Mrs. Remberto Gonzales, were at home and sleeping at the time of the fire. Mrs. Gonzales was awakened by what sounded like a ź??poppingź?ť noise and thought it may have been lightening or hail outside. Once she opened the bedroom door to check, smoke was already heavy in the home and began to enter their bedroom. Both quickly escaped out the front door and called 911 from a neighbors house. Both were medically checked for injury and smoke inhalation at the scene by a Guymon Fire Department EMS unit.

Cause of the fire was an extension cord running from a power pole outside and going into the home under the back door. Over time, the door had worn a hole in the cord and exposed wires which then came in contact with the aluminum door frame. The fire started beneath the back door where the cord entered the home. Damage and loss estimates were $25,000.

Firefighters remained on scene till 5:30am and were assisted by the Guymon Police Department, Guymon Emergency Management, City of Guymon Gas & Water Department, Tri-County Electric, and the Guymon Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The Guymon Fire Department reminds everyone that working smoke detectors do safe lives and can be installed free of charge by calling the Guymon Fire Department at 580-338-5536.