Two-Story Apartment Fire at Seventh Avenue and 24th Street Extinguished

Yuma Fire Department crews arrived at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 24th Street at around 2 p.m. Friday to find a two-story apartment building with heavy smoke and flames showing, and fought the fire for several hours before bringing it under control, officials said. The blaze displaced 12 residents, and the American Red Cross was called in to provide assistance.

YFD described initial tactics as an exterior attack, saying "Initial firefighting efforts began outside the building as crews worked to control the fire and assess conditions." A crew sent inside to evaluate conditions found the second floor "structurally compromised, making it unsafe for interior operations," prompting commanders to pull back interior crews and continue suppression from outside.

Firefighters continued exterior operations in part to shield nearby units, YFD said, noting crews continued battling the fire from the outside in order to protect "nearby units and limit further damage." A KYMA on-scene reporter observed the fire spread from the main house to a smaller building on the side, and described the property as a "two-story home that rented out rooms." KYMA also reported animal control personnel were present at the scene.

Yuma Fire Department said no civilian injuries were reported. One firefighter was treated on scene for overexertion, declined transport to the hospital, and was sent home as a precaution. Crews worked "for several hours" to bring the situation under control and, following extinguishment, "Crews remained on scene to monitor the building," YFD added.

Local response operations included multiple YFD units and coordination with the American Red Cross to help the 12 displaced residents, though YFD has not released a damage estimate or named the displaced individuals. The department stated the cause of the fire is under investigation and did not provide a final determination on whether the smaller adjacent structure sustained significant damage.

KYMA author tags in the original coverage include Lauren Duffel and Marcos Icahuate, whose on-scene reporting contributed details about spread to the side structure and the property's occupancy pattern. Yuma Fire Department supplied courtesy photos of the incident as part of its media package. YFD’s operational statements and the displacement figures remain the principal official details as investigators continue to examine the origin and full extent of the damage.