UPDATE: Man could be charged for burning trash; igniting house fire

El Paso county sheriff’s investigators say charges are pending against a 57-year-old man who decided to burn trash near a home Tuesday afternoon. The fire spread to a nearby home and storage shed, causing $20,000 in damage.

It took firefighters 45 minutes to contain the raging flames that engulfed the home on the 19100 block of Chamizo in Tornillo, an El Paso county sheriff’s spokesman said.

A nearby resident, concerned that the fire could spread to other homes, told ABC-7 he lept into action, grabbed a garden hose and started to wet down the grass.

Moises Hernandez told ABC-7 he chose to do that because neighbors are his family, too.

“My hat helped a little bit, that was my shield, plus I was getting myself wet,” he said. “I had the time and I was there at the time, so I didn’t think of any danger there,” Hernandez said.

Sheriff’s deputies are not identifying the man they say sparked the trash fire.

He suffered burns and received treatment at a hospital.