Fire destroys mobile home in Organ, N.M.

A man living in Organ, N.M., is without a home tonight.

A fire burned down Darroll Homer’s trailer home on the 1500 block of Furnace last night.

He believes firefighters could have saved his home.

All that remains of his home is burnt rubble and ashes.

“When you work your whole life and watch it go up in just a few minutes – everything you own, it’s pretty hard,” Homer told ABC-7.

Homer said he left his house to visit a friend down the street for just a few minutes.

When he came back, half of the trailer was on fire.

Homer said it took firefighters too long to get there.

“It took them 45 minutes. I don’t understand that. We have a fire department three blocks away,” he said.

The firefighters at the Organ Fire Department are volunteers.

Dona Ana County Fire Marshal Robert Monsivaiz said the first fire truck got to the scene in 20 minutes. Monsivaiz said the truck was from the NASA district.

Residents think even 20 minutes is too long.

“My taxes and everything is going to them and yet they can’t come and turn off a fire?” said Betty Martinez, another Organ resident.

Keepsakes, memories of his two children, his home — they’re all burned now.

“I lost everything I have in the world. I was there in that trailer one minute and 15 minutes later it was gone. Just that fast. You always see it on TV it happens to other people but you don’t think it will happen to you,” Homer said.

Monsivaiz said the investigation is ongoing. They have not determined the cause of the fire.

Homer said the Red Cross provided him with a motel room for the next three nights.