Las Cruces fire leaves family displaced

(Nov. 2012 story)

A fire ripped through a Las Cruces home burning through a lifetime of memories and leaving a family displaced.

The fire happened early Sunday morning on the 200 block of Cinnabar lane.

ABC-7 has been to the address before, talking with the Bustamante family about their 4-year-old son, who they say is a prodigy.

Fire officialssaid when they got to the home, they found heavy smoke and flames.

They said the owner of the home tried to fight the flames but had to escape when it all became overwhelming.

Las Cruces firefighters were called out to a house fire at 4:30 Sunday morning.

ABC-7 video shows the double wide mobile home with fire damage from the air conditioner down to the kitchen table.

Toys and some breadcan be seen amongthe interior left blackened from the smoke,a shocking contrast to the way it looked back in February, when ABC-7 visited with the Bustamante family to talk about their son, Lee.

Theysaid Lee’s a gifted child. He learned his ABC’s when he was just a year.

WhenABC-7 ran the story, Lee was 4 and already counting to 10,000 and doing math.

His parents were having issues getting him public schooling at his young age.

But the issue Sunday morning was potentially life-threatening.

It seems Polo Bustamante tried to extinguish the blaze, but had to escape when the fire started taking over the home.

Las Cruces fire officialssay the kitchen suffered heavy fire damage with smoke damage to the rest of the home.

Luckily, the rest of the Bustamante family wasn’t home at the time.

Fire officials aresaying no one was hurt in the fire and the cause is still being investigated.

They also say it could cost $65,000 to repair the damage left behind.

The Red Cross is assisting the displaced family.

(Nov. 2012 story)