Barstow couple comes back to burned home

BARSTOW • A Barstow couple was returning home from a Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas when they discovered that their home had caught fire Sunday.

Barstow Fire Department and Marine Corps Logistics Base firefighters responded to a house fire on the 1900 block of Sunset Street at 5:46 a.m. Sunday morning. Firefighters didn’t find the residents inside or near the house during or after the fire, according to a Barstow Fire Department report.

However, a neighbor, Johnny Carrera, said the couple was on vacation celebrating Thanksgiving with family in Las Vegas. He said he was able to find the phone number to the couple’s family in Las Vegas in the burned house. Carrera and the Barstow Fire Department wouldn’t release the couple’s names.

Carrera said he called their relatives to let them know about the fire.

“It’s terrible to have to call and tell someone that their house burned down,” Carrera said. “I called the family and found out that they had just left Las Vegas. I got a phone call from them later and explained what happened.”

Carrera said the couple came by the house and didn’t want to leave Sunday, but were staying with a friend because of the damage. The house sustained major structural and property damage estimated at $110,000, according to the report. The fire burned for an hour and a half despite the efforts of 14 firefighters and three fire engines.

There were no injuries reported in connection with the fire and the cause is still being investigated.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or dheldreth@desertdispatch.com