The Times-Independent

Murphy Lane fire destroys 6 homes, severely damages 4

Cause is unknown, says fire chief


A fire destroyed six homes and left four more uninhabitable at the Pack Creek Mobile Home Park on Murphy Lane Sunday afternoon. The cause of the blaze remains unknown.

An exhausted TJ Brewer trudges down the street at the Pack Creek Mobile Home Park on Monday. The fire chief and his volunteer crews remained on scene throughout the night. Photos by Doug McMurdo

Residents of the mobile home park were authorized to return to their homes as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. Moab Valley Fire Department Chief TJ Brewer said he worked closely with local county and health officials to reopen the park as soon as possible.

Fire crews have remained at the scene to take care of any lingering issues, Brewer said.

Brewer said the fire department was dispatched to the scene at about 2 p.m. Sunday and initially struggled to contain the blaze, which was spreading rapidly via wind and cheatgrass.

Remnants of a fire-charred American flag
and POW-MIA flag stand sentinel at the Pack Creek Mobile Home Park on Monday morning. Fire Chief TJ Brewer said the flag’s owner donated it to the department.

“Fuels around the houses caught, then cheatgrass,” he said. “It was spreading from house to house, even jumping houses.”

Once the fire crew secured gas and power lines and the wind died down, however, they quickly contained the blaze with help from local, state and federal partners.

“Once we got all our folks there, we were pretty good to go,” Brewer said.

Before then, however, it was an “all hands on deck situation,” said Brewer, who credited law enforcement officers and civilians with helping firefighters contain the blaze. “They (civilians) had hoses.”

A red X on this window lets first responders know that it had been evacuated.

He said volunteer firefighters were very aggressive in battling the fire. Also, a helicopter crew from the state arrived and was able to alert firefighters to small blazes; some that had sparked far outside the park’s boundaries.

The Grand County Commission honored all those who helped put out the fire, and recognized those who had lost their homes, at its Tuesday meeting. The mobile home park’s co-owner, Maureen Cain, also thanked those who fought the fire.

“Our thoughts are with those who have lost their homes to the fire … and recognize that other than losing a loved one, losing one’s home is probably the most traumatic thing that a person can go through,” said Commission Chair Jacques Hadler.

Resident Gary Hazen, whose home of 28 years was destroyed in the fire, believes cotton shed by one of these cottonwood trees somehow caught fire. Authorities have not identified a cause.

“I also wanted to recognize all those who are here and who aren’t here who helped out in the effort to put out the fire,” Hadler continued, lauding firefighters, Grand County Sheriff’s deputies and Grand County Emergency Medical Services. “It sounds like this could’ve been much, much worse if the fire had gotten into [Pack] Creek … if it wasn’t for the great action of so many of you all.”

Now, the fire department and its partners are conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the fire.

“We don’t know what happened yet,” said Brewer, adding that an electrical issue could be ruled out.

Gary Hazen, one of the residents whose home of 28 years was destroyed, believes the fire was started when cotton shed by one of the cottonwood trees onsite somehow ignited.

Hazen, a longtime Moab resident, was philosophical over his loss.

Smoke from the Pack Creek Mobile Home Park fire on Sunday captured from `Spanish Valley Drive.
Photo by Sophia Fisher

“I’m doing better than everyone else,” he said. “It was just stuff. I’m good with giving it over to God and faith.”

A neighbor’s two pet iguanas and a cat were killed, according to Hazen.

Brewer commended the citizens who showed up to help firefighters and house displaced residents. “It’s heartwarming to see our community join together like that,” he said. “…The volunteers did an amazing job.”

Orion Rogers from the Southeast Utah Health Department was on hand regarding possible issues with asbestos that might be present in the burn debris.

Those displaced by the fire were put up at the Aarchway Inn, according to a person who answered the phone at the Moab hotel.