Fire was accidential
Gamerco blaze sparked by candle in master bedroom

A firefighter indicates areas to be attended to at a fire in Gamerco on Thursday June 12. [photo by Daniel Zollinger / Independent]

By Leslie Wood
Staff writer

GALLUP —This morning the state Fire Marshal’s Office released the results of an investigation into a residential fire in Gamerco on June 12.

A representative for the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire at 800 Ray in Gamerco was an accident caused by a candle left on a nightstand next to the bed in the residents’ master bedroom.

“The initial findings revealed that a candle had fallen into the bed, ignited the molten wax, bedding and the wood paneling on the wall in the main bedroom of the residence,” according to information released by Paul Carbajal, a spokesman for the fire marshal’s office.

A charred frame is all that remains of the mobile home after the blaze burned through the house at about 10:30 a.m. Tenant Vera Robeson and her five children escaped the fire without injury. A few of the children were outside playing at the time of the fire’s onset.

The state fire marshal’s office was asked to conduct an inquiry into the cause of the household fire on June 12 by the Gallup Fire Department and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department. Both agencies were first responders at the scene of the fire.

Local officials initially said the fire could have been a result of several factors that included arson, human error or electrical problems; however, further investigation pointed to an unattended candle.

Fire investigators warned of the potential dangers of candles that are left unattended.

“The state Fire Marshal’s Office would like to remind New Mexico residents that indoor candle use can be dangerous and should be used under extreme caution and under direct supervision by a responsible person,” according to a state fire marshal’s news release.