By Roger Lanse

The Cliff-Gila Volunteer Fire Department was paged out Sunday, Mar. 5, 2023, to a house/wildland fire at 9513 Highway 180 near Mangas and Blacksmith Canyon. According to Chief Brad Malone, his department was paged out at 10:34 a.m. to an older double-wide mobile home which had burned and started the nearby vegetation ablaze. The cause of the fire was determined to be from a wood stove.

The fire scorched about 20 acres in “really rough terrain,” Malone told the Beat, “And the mobile home was a total loss.” About 34 firefighters, with 11 being from CGVFD, and 12 vehicles were on the fire, about half assigned to the mobile home and half to the wildland fire.

Two of the property owners were transported to Gila Regional Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of their injuries and one firefighter with minor injuries was also transported for evaluation, Malone said. 

The area was cleared at about 6:30 p.m., however, Malone said he and one other of his people stayed on scene until the next morning.

The CGVFD was assisted by the Tyrone, Whiskey Creek, and Fort Bayard volunteer fire departments, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. 

No citations were issued.