Yuma Apartment Fire Displaces 12 Residents, Cause Under Investigation

Twelve people lost their homes Friday after fire tore through a two-story rental property near Seventh Avenue and 24th Street in Yuma, spreading from an exterior staircase into the main structure and a smaller building on the side before Yuma Fire Department crews brought it under control after several hours of work.

Homeowner Charles Cook said he spotted the fire near the back stairs and grabbed a garden hose before calling for help. The effort proved futile. "It didn't seem like that big of a fire… as I was turning the water hose on it, it just seemed to get bigger and bigger and bigger, as if what I was spraying was gas and not water," Cook said. "It got too big to handle, and I was yelling, 'Call the fire department,' and after that I don't know."

Standing in the rubble afterward, Cook said only a handful of items could be saved. "Everything is gone," he said.

The house had started as a one-bedroom home before Cook expanded it over the years, eventually adding nine more bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a game room. The property had grown to accommodate 12 residents in all.

Yuma Fire Department crews arrived at about 2 p.m. Friday to find heavy smoke and flames showing from the two-story structure. "Initial firefighting efforts began outside the building as crews worked to control the fire and assess conditions," YFD said in a press release, while an interior crew evaluated the building. That crew found the second floor structurally compromised, making it "unsafe for interior operations," according to YFD. Crews then continued battling the fire from outside to protect "nearby units and limit further damage." After the fire was extinguished, crews remained on scene to monitor the building.

All 12 residents escaped without injury. One firefighter was treated on scene for overexertion, declined transport to a hospital, and was sent home as a precaution. Animal control was also on scene; Cook said he managed to get his four dogs out, and they are now in the care of the Humane Society of Yuma.

The American Red Cross was called in to assist the displaced residents. Five days after the fire, those 12 people were still working to secure housing. The Cook family has no insurance, and a GoFundMe has been set up to help cover basic needs. A family member appealed publicly on Cook's behalf: "If anyone is willing to help… even if it's not to rebuild… just help him raise enough to get by and find another place to live, at least."

Yuma firefighters said the blaze started outside the home before spreading inside, though the exact cause remains under investigation. The incident is one of approximately 13 house fires, including RV fires, to which Yuma Fire Department crews have responded this month.