Tucumcari firefighters extinguish two blazes in city

link Tucumcari Volunteer Firefighters work Monday night to extinguish a fire that destroyed a shed behind a vacant house on the 600 block of South Eighth Street, Tucumcari.

QCS Staff

Tucumcari Fire Department firefighters extinguished two fires on Friday and Monday evenings in different parts of the city.

A fire of suspicious origin struck a shed behind an abandoned home Monday evening in the 600 block of South Eighth Street.

Only the shed was damaged, Tucumcari Assistant Fire Chief Scot Jaynes said.

Firefighters received a call on the shed fire at about 5:30 p.m., Jaynes said. On the way, firefighters were also notified about something burning in the 700 block of South Eighth that appeared to be a cactus, Jaynes said, but firefighters saw the smoke from the shed a block north, Jaynes said.

Suspecting a more serious fire, Jaynes said, Tucumcari firefighters summoned Rural District 1 to the scene.

When firefighters arrived, Jaynes said, the wood-frame shed with sheet-metal walls was engulfed in flames, but, he said, “We were able to knock it down quickly” with only a single hose.

While District 1 crews stood by, Jaynes said, Tucumcari firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and declare the incident closed at about 6:25 p.m.

Jaynes said firefighters could not tell exactly what burned in the blaze but said the fire’s origin was suspicious.

Jaynes said three Tucumcari firefighting units and 12 firefighters responded to the blaze, and Rural District 1 sent three units and seven or eight personnel.

On Friday evening, fire struck an equipment room at the Tucumcari Quality Inn on the 3700 block of east Route 66.

Damage was confined to the room, Jaynes said. There were no evacuations, but some guests were moved to new rooms, according to hotel employees.

The fire started just after 6: 15 p.m. Four Tucumcari Fire Department firefighting units responded, including two engines, a brush truck and the department’s ladder truck, Jaynes said. An equipment van also responded. In all, Jaynes said, 12 firefighters and an Emergency Medical Services paramedic were on the scene.

Jaynes said the department does not know the cause of the fire, but the fire’s origin was not considered suspicious.

Firefighters stayed at the motel until about 8:20 p.m.

Jaynes said the equipment room on the motel’s southwest corner was surrounded on all sides by cinderblock walls, which kept the fire confined to that space.