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Property owner saves Moffat County hunting cabin from flames with garden hose

Staff Report
Craig Fire/Rescue firefighters tackle smoky conditions at a single-wide trailer that caught fire off of Moffat County Road 37 near Hamilton Thursday morning. The owner held the flames at bay with a garden hose until firefighters could arrive on scene.
Doug Slaight for Craig Fire/Rescue/courtesy

One Moffat County resident took quick action Thursday when he learned a hunting cabin on his property near Hamilton was on fire.

Craig Fire/Rescue responded to the call around 7:45 a.m., but arrived to find the flames were being kept at bay by the property owner, who was armed with a garden hose, said Battalion Chief Troy Hampton.

“It had some smoke coming out of all sides of the house, but no actual fire that we saw,” Hampton said. “He was actually able to keep some of the flames down by the time we got there.”

The fire broke out in a single-wide trailer off of Moffat County Road 37 in southern Moffat County, and was first reported by a worker at a nearby oil well. It wasn’t occupied at the time, Hampton said.Three fire trucks and 14 firefighters responded to the call and made quick work of securing the structure.

The fire originated in a closet containing the hot water heater, Hampton said, though the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. The flames damaged a bedroom and bathroom and a small portion of the exterior, however, the structure was saved.

“They were pretty lucky they didn’t lose the whole house with us being 20 to 25 miles down the road,” Hampton said, noting it took crews at least 20 minutes to reach the scene. “He (the owner) made a big difference for sure.”


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