Fire Destroys Vacant Home in Hoopa

Fire engulfed a home on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, near the intersections of Shoemaker road, Moon Lane, and Highway 96 in Hoopa. / Photo by Rhonda Bigovich

By KRISTAN KORNS, Two Rivers Tribune

A home near the intersections of Shoemaker Road, Moon Lane, and Highway 96 in Hoopa, where Dorothy Evelyn Ulrich was killed on September 27, burned to the ground early in the morning on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013.

Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department Chief Daniel “Duffy” Mott said that the cause of the fire was unknown.

“It was an abandoned structure. Nobody lived there, but people in the neighborhood say that people were sneaking in at night,” Mott said.

Local resident Matthew Sylvia said that he first noticed the fire around 8:30 am.

“I saw the flames through the window,” Sylvia said. “Then it travelled to the power lines and they started to spark. The house was completely engulfed in flames.”

“There was a large propane tank in between our house and the flames, and there were downed live power lines arcing on the ground,” Sylvia said.

Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Chief Bob Kane told everyone in the area to evacuate, because of the danger of the propane tank exploding.

Sylvia said, “We grabbed the kids and the dog and put them in the truck and headed downtown.”

Two fire engines, 10 volunteer firefighters, and a water tender from Wildland Fire responded to the blaze. They were able to keep the fire from spreading.

Mott said, “It took about a half hour to bring it under control, and complete cleanup took about two hours.”

Sylvia said, “Tell them to keep up the good work. They saved the whole neighborhood.”