Fire investigators with the Doña Ana County Fire and Emergency Services Department have determined a fire last week that destroyed a mobile home and displaced the owner and several dogs on the property was caused by an electrical accident.
According to Deputy Fire Marshal Eric Crespin, the homeowner left for a doctor’s appointment Thursday, June 13, and plugged in a fan using an extension cord to keep her pets cool inside the home on the 9100 block of Berry Patch Lane in Butterfield. The extension cord malfunctioned and caught fire, said Crespin.
The home was a total loss and several dogs on the property scattered to escape the flames. Three dogs perished in the fire. Doña Ana County Animal Control officers who were called to the scene removed 15 dogs -- nine adults and six puppies -- from the property.
Animal Control officers say no charges were filed against the homeowner and they will work with her on complying with Doña Ana County animal ordinances so that she may get some of her animals back. County code prohibits more than six animals on individual properties without a multiple-animal permit.