Fire engulfs home in South-Central El Paso

More than 50 firefighters were called out to a house fire in the 400 block of Huerta St. in South-Central El Paso Tuesday afternoon.

El Paso Fire Department officials said it took eight minutes for the first crews to arrive.

By that time, the fire had spread through the home’s attic and flames were shooting through the roof.

As the fire raged on, neighbors and children from nearby Henderson Middle School gathered on front lawns across the street to watch the firefighters work.

“It was crazy. I had never seen anything like that,” said Miguel Alvarez, who was in the neighborhood to pick up his cousin from track practice at Henderson.

“I just imagine the people, the neighbors. It’s just scary,” said Alma Sanchez. She said she smelled smoke in her house three blocks away and walked down to the scene to see what was going on.

Thick black smoke billowed out of the home’s eaves and blanketed the crowd. When the winds carried the plumes into the sky, it blocked out the sun.

It took nearly two hours to put the fire out at the vacant home.

During that time, the fire destroyed interior walls and caused the home’s roof to collapse.

“We had to go to what we call defensive mode — where we have to remove everyone from the structure to protect them,” said EPFD Deputy Chief Robert Arvizu.

No firefighters were hurt. The cause remains under investigation.