Sedona Fire Station 6 is located near the Chapel roundabout on SR 179, Sedona.

Sedona AZ – On December 31, 2019, Sedona Fire District crews were dispatched to a structure fire at 49 Eagle Lane in the Chapel area and arrived on scene six minutes and seven seconds after dispatch. The reported fire had fully engulfed the structure and threatened nearby buildings.

Firefighters took a defensive posture and directed resources to protect the nearby exposed buildings.

“Our firefighters did a great job keeping the fire confined to the building of origin. Our first goal is always life safety. Second to that is protecting property. In this case, when we arrive to a fully involved building, we protect the surrounding buildings and vegetation. The fact that no one was injured and we successfully protected the surrounding buildings is very good,” said Fire Chief Jon Trautwein adding, “Responding from Station 6 really illustrated the importance of having a station located between the VOC and Sedona.”

After the structure fire was fully extinguished, fire crews remained on scene around the clock for the next four days while a fire investigation was completed. Sedona Fire Investigators requested and received assistance from Sedona Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), and the Gilbert Fire Department which has a dog certified by BATFE.

During the investigation, samples from the fire scene were collected and sent to the BATFE lab for analysis.

“We do not expect to get results back on those samples for several weeks,” Fire Marshal Jon Davis explained.

Davis added that in some cases results take several months, “At this time, we believe the cause may be accidental although we have not yet ruled out every potential possibility. It is not uncommon for buildings under construction to catch fire.” He also pointed out that many trades work at construction sites and use multiple sources of heat to apply roofing, install plumbing, and cutting or welding.

Construction fires tend to burn quickly and intensely for a multitude of reasons:

• There are no doors or windows to restrict air flow to the fire.
• Lumber is not only kiln dried, but is also arranged in a vertical orientation and without drywall to protect the structural members.
• The arrangement of this particular structure was such that there was large open area with vaulted ceilings connecting the first and second floors.

Sedona Police Department is on Roadrunner Drive, west Sedona.

“In a finished home we are essentially dealing with multiple small compartments protected by drywall, in a construction fire we have one large unprotected structure with unrestricted air flow. There is a reason buildings are built the way the codes require,” explained the SFD Fire Marshal.

No injuries were reported during the fire and the estimated loss is $480,000.

At this time, the investigation remains open. Anyone with any information about this fire should contact the Sedona Fire District Fire Investigator Evans at 928-204-8926 or the Sedona Police Department Detective Bergstad at 928-282-3100.