A fire in Canutillo kills one person, while homes burn in El Paso County

A man using a wheelchair died as a large, fast-spreading fire ravaged neighboring homes in Canutillo and required the deployment of multiple fire departments, officials said.

The fire burned four buildings and seven vehicles and claimed the life of a man in a wheelchair, whose body was found Sunday, May 5, near the seat of the fire on Sixth Street, West Valley Fire Department Chief Bill Adler said , in an email.

The victim’s name was not released by authorities, but the man’s family identified him as Manuel Hidalgo.

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“Total devastation,” Eduardo Hidalgo said Monday between deep sighs as he surveyed the blackened, gutted remains of what was once the interior of his home, which sits next door to his late brother’s home.

One person died Sunday evening when a major fire damaged several homes in Canutillo. "It is devastation, there are no other words" Eduardo Hidalgo said as he stood where his home in Canutillo was before it was destroyed by fire. The fire broke out around 6 p.m. on Sixth Street near Canutillo Avenue at his brother's house next door. He died in the fire.

“My brother burned himself in the fire. It’s devastating. There are no other words,” Hidalgo said. “It’s like it’s not true. Everything gone. I am at a loss for words. I am at a loss for words.”

Hidalgo said he was in the toilet when he “heard something fall really hard on the floor, but it was nothing falling. They were explosions that took place in my brother’s house.”

“I ran outside, the explosions were going on. I got the (water) hose. ” he said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what to say. It’s total devastation.” No Tengo Palabras.”

Even before the fire, it was an extremely difficult time for Hidalgo and his family. “My wife just died in December. My sister died five months before my wife. Five months later, my brother is dead. A devastation,” Hidalgo said, adding that he was “exhausted.”

“The only thing left is to sit here,” he said, pointing to his head. “Memories.”

The El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 2 Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Canutillo fire timeline

The El Paso Fire Department has released this firefighting timeline.

5:31 p.m., first emergency call.
5:32 p.m., West Valley Fire Department dispatched.
5:40 p.m., WVFD arrives on Sixth Street.
6:10 p.m., WVFD requests EPFD assistance.
6:19 p.m., EPFD units on scene.

Canutillo homes and burning vehicles as firefighters arrive

When the first West Valley firefighters arrived on the scene, three buildings and four vehicles were already ablaze, Adler said. The close proximity of the buildings and outdoor items “helped the fire get such a big head start.”

Ultimately, 34 firefighters from five different agencies responded, including the West Valley, El Paso, Doña Ana County, Montana Vista and Horizon fire departments, officials said.

With streets overcrowded, fire engines set up a nearby park and hose lines were run through an alley and a two-story home, while a ladder truck was deployed on Park Street to fight the flames from above, Adler said.

Videos on social media showed high flames consuming a home as black smoke billowed over a neighborhood and El Paso County sheriff’s vehicles blocked roads.

Firefighters were at the Canutillo fire scene for 10 hours

The fire was knocked down by 7 p.m., but the El Paso County Fire Marshal’s investigation into the cause of the fire continued, EPFD said. Firefighters were on scene for 10 hours smothering hot spots and doing other work, officials said.

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