February fire displaces four families
Just before noon on the morning of Tuesday, February 11, phone calls to report a fire at the Sierra Vista Apartments in Tonopah flooded local emergency agencies.
Tonopah volunteer firefighters and other local law enforcement personnel arrived on-scene quickly, battling both the flames and strong winds that would keep them working late into the evening.
Four residences were engulfed that day, even with the rapid response. Residents Mykela Roberts and Charles Bowen were notified by their landlord about the fire and arrived on site within minutes to see that it was too late to attempt to grab anything from inside.
Roberts and Bowen knew right away there was no chance of entering or saving their home and their instincts immediately turned to helping their neighbors.
“We’ve been overwhelmed, not all in bad ways, but very good ways as well. Half of the firefighters [arrived] before I was there. We are really lucky to have the people we do in our lives,” says Bowen.
In the aftermath, Tonopah and neighboring communities provided basic needs and commodities to the families who lost their homes. Raley’s, Family Dollar and Thrift Store collected donations and the Red Cross has ensured grocery needs are met.
Additional support from the Crescent Dunes Solar Plant and A-Bar-L Western store provided clothes and financial support, while local hotels gave affected families room and board during the first tender days after the fire.
Tonopah Fire Service Chief Gerald Yeager noted conditions were difficult, with high winds and cold temperatures causing slipping hazards because of freezing water.
Fortunately, there were no injuries or loss of life for any of the volunteers or families. By the end of the day, there was additional support from the fire departments from the surrounding towns of Beatty, Round Mountain, Silver Peak and Goldfield. After burning several hours, crews contained the fire late that evening, with volunteers patrolling the perimeters for any chance of re-flares.
Yeager points out that seasonal cold temperatures, requiring extra heat and energy use, can raise the risk of electrical fires. In rural areas, he says, its difficult to predict availability when calling for outside help and is pleased with the focused group effort.
“It’s a team effort. That’s one thing about this little community: we come together and become a pretty strong little unit when needed,” expresses Yeager, pointing to their focus on saving structures and making sure no one got hurt.
According to Yaeger, the type of devastation from the Sierra Vista fire had not been seen in decades by the Tonopah Fire Service.
Picking up the pieces after this loss, Roberts and Bowen reflect on where to begin their recovery, acknowledging that although many of their basic needs have been met, it will take time to rebuild many aspects of what they lost. Reclaiming a sense of normalcy is just one piece, which was gently addressed when the Round Mountain Fire Department invited the couple to come enjoy dinner with the crew at their station this last weekend.
Roberts and Bowen have one recommendation that could help save and protect precious possessions during a fire: a fireproof safe or lock box. Thanks to this, some of their valuable paper documents were salvaged. “It’s one of those ‘what if’s’ that you think you might not need that you should absolutely go for,” says Roberts.
Along with Roberts and Bowen, three other families were displaced by the fire. For those wanting to make a donation in Tonopah, the local Raley’s, Family Dollar and Thrift Store are collecting contributions. Multiple GoFundMe accounts have been created and can be found on the site by searching the organizers: Teresa Polino, Laurie Gossett, and Kodi Brown. For more information or assistance about other potential GoFundMe accounts, you can email Jeff Platt, who is the site’s communications manager and spokesperson at jplatt@gofundme.com.
Rachel Ebel is a freelance reporter living in Tonopah.
