WINSLOW–At 1:55 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 17, the Winslow Fire Department was dispatched to Kachina Auto Wrecking, located at 637 French Road in Winslow.
Upon arrival, Winslow Fire Chief James Hernandez contacted the Joseph City Fire Department. “I called them about 15 minutes after we got there and realized we were going to need more water.”
Kachina Auto Wrecking is an automotive salvage yard on a large lot in the Bushman Acres subdivision of Winslow. According to Hernandez, the grounds area congested with vehicles and equipment and the scarcity of fire hydrants in the area led the departments to take other measures in fighting the fire. “Our water supply was limited out there and there was almost no access to the structures. So, we stretched our lines from the front gate and shuttled water using our tender and Joe City’s tender.” A tender is a truck sometimes referred to as a tanker that allows water to be transported from a far away or blocked hydrant.
Sixteen total firefighters helped to extinguish the blaze, 12 from the Winslow crew and four from Joseph City. They were able to fight the fire without injury to crewmembers or occupants, as the structures were empty at the time of the fire.
“We lost three structures,” said Hernandez, “the shop, the office and the home. We are grateful no one was injured.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Winslow Forensic Investigator Doug Walton.
