Krystal Bahr had just laid her month-old son down for a nap when she settled in to get a little shut-eye herself Wednesday afternoon.
But before she could drift off to sleep, Bahr heard a crackling noise outside her mobile home in the 3700 block of East Lee Street, near North Dodge Boulevard and East Speedway.
"I looked out of the peephole and saw the porch engulfed in flames," Bahr, 21, said. "I called the dogs and grabbed the baby and ran out of the back door."
In minutes the entire home was involved, she said.
The Tucson Fire Department received reports about the fire just before 3 p.m., said Capt. Norm Carlton, a spokesman.
It took 11 minutes and about 25 firefighters to get it under control, he said.
The wind likely drove the heat of the fire toward a neighboring mobile home that was damaged on one side, Carlton said.
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Two people live in the neighboring home, he said.
Bahr; her son, Dawsun; and her parents, Debra Whitten and Glenn Gray, moved into the mobile home about two weeks ago, Bahr said.
"I don't know where we are going to go," Bahr said. "It's scary, but I'm glad I got him out."
Damage is estimated at $15,000, Carlton said. The fire was ruled accidental and was likely caused by "carelessly discarded smoking materials," Carlton said.
The Red Cross was called to assist the residents.
Windy day all over the area
Wind caused other problems across Tucson and Southern Arizona, according to the National Weather Service.
Gusts of up to 50 mph were recorded in the Tucson area, and sustained winds were measured at 20 to 30 mph at Tucson International Airport, the weather service said. There were reports of some roofs being damaged in the metro area.
Cochise County got the brunt of the winds with gusts up to 60 mph.
A tin roof was reportedly blown off a brick house in Elfrida, southeast of Tucson in Cochise County, the weather service said. Sustained winds in Cochise County were at about 40 mph.
The weather service expects similar activity today and has issued a wind advisory for the area effective from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The high today in the Tucson area will be in the low to mid-80s, and it is expected to be partly cloudy. There's a slight chance of rain today, increasing by Friday.
On Friday, a high in the mid-70s is forecast, but winds are expected to calm down.
Winds of this magnitude can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, the weather service said. They produce localized dust storms, which reduce visibility, especially along Interstate 10 and Arizona 186 and U.S. 191 in Cochise County.
Blowing dust prompted New Mexico authorities to close Interstate 10 from Las Cruces to Lordsburg for part of Wednesday. The interstate was re-opened by Wednesday night.
B2 • Arizona Daily Star / Thursday, May 22, 2008
"I saw the porch engulfed in flames. I ... grabbed the baby and ran out of the back door. I don't know where we are going to go. It's scary, but I'm glad I got him out."
Krystal Bahr, resident of mobile home that burned Wednesday
